


Come As You Are

by Miaka1977j



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Sex, F/M, Female Friendship, First Stardew Fic, Fluff, Love Triangles, Ok Most of These Characters Aren't In It Because It's Already Really Wordy, Sad bois, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:00:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 59,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23665018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miaka1977j/pseuds/Miaka1977j
Summary: Kate has lived her life as part of the corporate cog for Joja Corp but has been feeling unfulfilled.  Her mind keeps going back to her summers spent in Pelican Town, part of Stardew Valley, with her Grandfather.  One day Kate reads a letter that changes the direction of her life - will she find her true calling back at the Valley, now as an adult?  Will she find everything she was looking for and maybe even something she wasn't expecting?
Relationships: Sebastian/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Shane/Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 61
Kudos: 55





	1. Year 0 - What Have I Become

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone! This is the first fic I have written in years and the first Stardew fic I have ever written! I am absolutely captivated by this game and the characters! I wasn't able to stop thinking about it and so I wanted to play around with the idea of writing a fic with our favorite farmer as she navigates through her life starting on the farm. I have no idea where I am going with it, and in my own game have a bit of a love triangle going on (which will be represented here). I did change up the letter from Grandpa a little since I wanted to include a background where she has been to the Valley, though not in a very long time. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it and please let me know what you think!

The alarm sounded off at 6 AM waking Kate from a restless slumber. She was almost relieved to hear the familiar sound signaling it was time to start the day since she wouldn’t have to toss and turn any longer. She started her coffee and jumped in the shower letting the warm water wake her up fully. It wasn’t that she was excited to start the day but rather she was going through the motions of her daily routine of wake up, drink coffee, commute to work, lose time for about 9 hours, then head home to warm something up in the microwave for dinner. She would maybe finish the night off watching one or two episodes of her favorite show before heading to bed to start the exact same routine the next day.

While she was getting the last of the shampoo out of her hair she realized things have felt different lately. She would have never admitted being happy with where her life had led her but she was at least okay with it. She had fallen into the routine of it all, it was comfortable, and she had means to live comfortably. She had started with Joja Corp. right out of high school at 18 as a data entry employee and had moved up the ladder rather quickly to handling commercial accounts. She had a desk job, some benefits, and the ability to fund her book and gaming hobbies. She turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, dried off, and threw on her robe. 

She grabbed her first cup of coffee and sat down at her table to check her phone for the local news of the day. The Joja ads were all over the news sites that she visited and she felt an unfamiliar pit in her stomach. She put her phone down and started to think of the past, when she was a young girl, and would spend her summers at her Grandfather’s farm over in Stardew Valley. It was such a small town, one where everyone knew everyone, untouched by modern civilization. She hadn’t been there since he passed, 10 years ago, when she was 11. She loved the summers there, the smell of the farm, the noises of the animals. They would always spend the mornings tending to the farm, then walk to the Community Center or the beach to find shells. She remembered going to the Saloon with him on Friday’s where the barkeep would get her a root beer and always make a joke about not drinking it too fast. Grandpa would talk to his friend Lewis while she played the video games in the corner. Time seemed to move slower there compared to where she was now. 

She looked up at the clock and saw it was 7:15, time to get dressed and catch the bus over to Joja Corp for another day of sales and phone calls. Another day of just the same things over and over, numbers and more numbers. She quickly got ready, throwing her auburn hair into a ponytail, and headed out the door.

She made it to work 15 minutes early, giving her enough time to grab a coffee from the office machine and booting up her computer. People walked by, saying good morning and asking how she was but never actually waiting to hear a response. That was how things were now, you just said the correct words and went about your day almost on auto-pilot. She sighed softly and looked at what was on her agenda for the day. She had some meetings with management as well as some calls she had to make to clients to get some new products and vending machines in, Joja slowly making its way into every facet of life. Joja Energy products in schools, Joja vending machines in libraries. It never seemed to end, this artificial and chemical filled new way of being. Her mind went once again (and seemed to be more and more frequently) to that small farm where time seemed to pause. 

She opened up her desk drawer to grab a pencil and saw the envelope. It was given to her by her parents when she turned 18, right before she took her job at Joja. It came with instructions to not open it until she felt she really needed a change. She almost opened it right away, but then the job offer came from Joja and she was so excited to start her career that the letter was forgotten. Her fingers slid over the paper, holding it for a moment, wondering if now was finally the time. She looked back at her agenda and could already hear exactly what would be said in the meetings, it was the same every week. She already knew her scripts for her calls as she had made so many of them they were committed to memory. Nothing ever changed, days and seasons blended together. She felt a pull towards this letter now, an almost obsession to know what was inside.

She took the letter out of the desk and held it in her hands. It was if she knew that if she opened it, she would never be able to turn back from it. She started to loosen the back, open it slightly, and heard a “hmph” in her direction. She looked up to see Gary, her manager, at her desk.

“Good morning, Gary.” Kate said as cheerfully as she could muster.

Gary looked at her and repeated the greeting. “We are moving the meeting to 10 AM today and I would like to see you at 12 in my office. We need to go over your numbers since there seems to have been a decline in them over the last couple of months.”

“Sure, Gary. It’s been hard since there has been such a push for healthier options and schools don’t want to send the wrong message with putting Joja machines in, but I am sure…” Kate started but Gary cut her off.

“Yeah, well, it isn’t our issue if schools want healthier options. Our issue is that you need to convince them that they want these machines and that they contain healthier options. I will need to see an action plan on how your performance here will improve at 12.” Gary gave her one last look before walking away.

Kate felt the dread rush over her as she was panicking on how to come up with some plan before 12. The issue was, she realized, that she didn’t believe in the product. She knew Joja wasn’t healthy, and she knew that she too believed in something that wasn’t so fake. She picked the letter back up with resolve and opened it quickly.

She gasped when she saw the familiar handwriting: 

> Dear Kate,
> 
> If you are reading this, you must be in a dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me long ago when I had lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with people and nature. I dropped everything and moved to a place where I belonged. 
> 
> I’ve included the deed to my place… my pride and joy, Valley Farm. I think you remember where it is since you spent so much time here with me. It’s the perfect place for you to start over should you need to. 
> 
> It’s my most precious gift, and I have saved it for you. I know you will honor the family name, my girl. Good luck.
> 
> Love,  
>  Grandpa

Kate felt the start of tears forming in her eyes and knew at that moment what she needed to do. She had never done anything impulsive in her life, always following the normal, meeting expectations, and always doing what was needed for others. She shut down her computer, packed up her pictures and small amount of belongings into her bag, and got up to find Gary. He was in his office and looked up startled when you came in.

“Kate, the meeting was at 12, so….” he began.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to the meeting at 10, or the meeting at 12. I have to leave, Gary.” Kate started. 

“Well, we can’t approve any time off today so I am going to need you at those meetings.” Gary glared.

“No, Gary, I can’t make it to any of the meetings again. I am leaving today and not coming back. You said you wanted an action plan, and this is my action plan. Best of luck in the future.” Kate said and turned around walking away, ready to leave the corporate world behind.


	2. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate arrives into town, meeting a few of the townsfolk. She collides with one literally and wonders if she made the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I am sure I won't be doing multiple updates a day but I really just wanted to get the girl into the town and on the farm! I wasn't sure if I wanted to name her, or keep it as a you/your but I am not so comfortable writing in the you/your so I gave her a name. I really hope you all enjoy this and I look forward to diving in more to the story.

Year 1 - Spring 1

It didn’t take long for Kate to pack up what belongings she wanted to take with her to Pelican Town once she had made the decision to go. She was never really what one would call impulsive but this decision seemed so simple to make. When she was just 18 and handed the letter from her parents they had strongly recommended heeding the directions given- to only open it when she needed a change. She did feel like something had been pressing her for the last year or so, the monotony of the corporate life, the routine of it all. If she was being honest, she did also find her Grandfather’s farm and the time she spent there popping up in her thoughts, her dreams, her memories more and more often. 

She left Joja for the last time and felt lighter, almost as if she was walking on air. She went home, grabbed her suitcase, packed some of her clothes in there and packed some in boxes to be shipped later. Her phone kept buzzing in her pocket but she was too determined to look at it. Family photos were neatly packed and secured, some meager kitchen supplies, and odds and ends packed ready to ship. She took a quick break, realizing it was well past dinner time and she was over halfway done. Looking around the rooms helped solidify her decision; she had been here for three years, almost four, and really had nothing to show for it. It was all the bare minimum since she spent most of her time working when she was awake, eating quick microwave meals or grabbing something on the way home after a long day. She made a note to call a moving company tomorrow morning to set up pick up times for the things she was not taking with her on the bus and finally pulled out her phone.

There were at least 10 missed calls from Joja and one missed call from her mother. She would give her a call tomorrow as well to let her know her plans, ate a quick meal, and headed to bed.

The next few days were a blur. She settled all of her accounts, cancelled utilities, called her mother who was very surprised that she was making the move. She questioned what Kate knew about running a farm, and the answer was she knew nothing about running a farm, but was eager to start learning. The moving company would be by shortly to pick up her boxes and furniture and her ticket to Stardew Valley was in her hand. She felt nervous, but excited at the new opportunity. She took one last look at her apartment and shut the door softly. 

She tried to get a little sleep on the bus ride over but was too excited to really rest. The city landscape gave way to rolling hills and trees growing new leaves making her think of her own new life about to begin. She was reading her newly purchased book on farming hoping to get some tips and learn some techniques. She remembered helping Grandpa on the farm, but that was so many years ago and really involved more eating the fresh berries and playing with the chickens than actual work. 

“Excuse me, Miss? I believe this is your stop.” the bus driver called out. Still lost in her thoughts, Kate didn’t even notice that the bus had stopped. She looked out the window and saw an elderly gentleman standing at the bus stop. Kate gathered her book and suitcase and headed out. The bus driver followed her out, clearly the last stop of the day for her. “Evening, Mayor Lewis! Will I see you at the saloon later?” she called out cheerfully. 

“Evening, Pam! Well, we will see. I have some things to do around town and if the time permits, I may stop in for a drink.” he answered before looking at Kate.

“Well, goodness, it has been an awful long time since I have seen you, Katie! Oh, your Grandpa would be so proud to see you here today! You may not remember me, but I was your Grandpa’s best friend here in Pelican Town. He was one of the best men I have ever known. I am sure you and I are going to be two peas in a pod as well! I just keep talking your ear off and you have barely stepped off the bus! I am Lewis, the Mayor here in the town. Robin, our local carpenter, will be here shortly and we will bring you right over to Valley Farm.” Kate wasn’t sure if he had even taken a breath in all those sentences and she all of a sudden felt overwhelmed. 

“I do remember you, Mayor Lewis, and thank you for meeting me here at the stop. It has been a while since I’ve been here and look forward to starting the farm up again.” Kate answered softly. Just then a red headed woman came bounding toward them.

“Hello! You must be Kate! I am Robin and I live right over there in the mountains. I do a lot of the woodwork around these parts and wanted to meet you and let you know you could call on me at any time.” Robin smiled at Kate. 

Kate returned the greeting and looked at everything around her, taking it in. She definitely felt overwhelmed now and a little uncertain. “What was I thinking?” she wondered to herself as she picked up her bag and followed Robin and Lewis. She knew nothing about farming, nothing about anything other than selling vending machines. Now she was here, alone, with a farm in a community that seemed like everyone knew everyone’s life story. Back in Zuzu she didn’t even know her nearest neighbors' names, never mind asking about what they were doing that night. Anxiety started to come over her and as she rounded the corner she ended up slamming right into something that felt like a wall. She almost fell over but felt hands grab onto her an put her upright.

“Why don’t you watch where you are going?” came a gruff voice.

Kate looked up and saw a violet haired man in a blue hoodie looking pissed off. “Oh, I am sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. My name is…”

“Yeah, don’t care. I don’t know you and don’t know why you are still talking.” he grumbled as he walked past her.

“Kate, are you okay?” Lewis called from ahead, “I didn’t notice we left you behind while we were talking.”   
Kate brushed herself down, tears threatening to come spilling out due to her encounter with the man she almost knocked over. It wasn’t the greatest of first meetings, for sure, but that was no reason to be an ass about it. Lewis came back, taking her bag. 

“Don’t worry about Shane. He isn’t the most social of fellows. I promise it’s nothing personal. Let’s get you settled in.” Lewis said gently. Kate listened to Lewis and Robin for the rest of the walk, giving her information on the town, the places to go, who sells what. She was thankful for their words since she herself didn’t have to say anything. At last they reached a sign that said “Valley Farm”.

Saying it was breathtaking would not do it justice. There were things… everywhere. Rocks, trees, wood, weeds. It was so far from what she remembered as a child. She sat open mouthed looking at the large land in front of her.

“Things look a lot different…” she finally was able to say after a few moments.

Lewis sighed. “Yes, it is a far cry from what they used to be, but no one has worked this land for at least 10 years. I have no doubt it can be restored to what it was with a lot of work and determination. It won’t be easy, but I see your Grandpa in you and I know you can do it.”

Robin was circling the house, checking spots, making sure the structure was okay. “It will hold but it is quite small. When you are ready I can definitely expand on this for you and give you some more room. Maybe even a kitchen.” 

Suddenly Kate remembered that the home didn’t even have a kitchen; they would often have dinner out when she was there for the summers, or cook over an open fire at the end of the day. Exhausted was not even close to how Kate was feeling. Just as she was wondering what she was going to do for food she saw a girl come running down with a basket.

“Mom, here is the basket you forgot to bring!” the girl yelled to Robin. Kate looked at the girl, seeming to be close to her own age, handing a basket to Robin. Robin beckoned Kate over to her and handed her the basket.

“Kate, this is my daughter Maru, and Maru this is Kate, the new farmer. Kate, here are some provisions we packed up for you, figuring you may need some dinner and breakfast while you are settling in.” Kate smiled at Maru and thanked them both.

Lewis cleared his throat and called out to the girls. “I think it’s probably about time we let Kate settle in and wash up after her day. If you need anything I left a map in your mailbox. The town isn’t very large, but I marked my house as well as Robin’s. Marnie is also marked off in case you are ready to start with some farm animals once you get some space cleared out. Be sure to get out and say hi to everyone once you settle in a little - everyone is very excited to meet you!”. Kate thanked everyone again and opened the door to her new home.  
It was dark and dusty inside and very small. She noticed a small bed over in the corner and it looked as if the bedding was at least freshly washed. She wondered if Lewis had done that, or maybe Robin. She sat on the bed and opened the basket seeing some sandwiches, some jarred pickles, some biscuits and preserves. She was very thankful since she didn’t even realize she was hungry until that moment.

Her mind kept racing back to the attractive man she collided with and his words. Thinking of him made her blush a bit remembering the first impression she had was slamming into his chest. When Lewis stated everyone was excited about meeting her for some reason she didn’t think he was on the list of people who were excited.


	3. Just Another Fixture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane is living his day to day as always. Work, Drink, Sleep, Repeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really spent a lot of time wondering about Shane. I never got the feeling he grew up there, and I always wondered how Shane would have had Jas with him. I really like the idea of Shane and his depression is some of the most heartbreaking things about Stardew Valley for me. I wanted to write something from his perspective, give him a little bit of a background on how he got to where he was. 
> 
> Again, three updates in one day isn't quite the norm when I write fics, but when I have it in my head I need to get it out.

Year 1 - Spring 1 - Shane

Shane lived a pretty uneventful life in the Valley. Every day was the same, wake up, go to work, come home from work, head to the Saloon. Days blended into each other, weeks were all the same, the only thing that changed was the season. The more he tried to keep it together the more he seemed to feel like he was losing himself.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that he was back in Zuzu city, Tunnelers season ticket holder, no real responsibilities other than showing up to work and keeping a roof over his head. He lived the bachelor life and even though his friends were growing up, getting married, having kids, it wasn’t a place he wanted to be in. He was satisfied with his routine out in the city, working data entry at Joja corporate, hitting the clubs and bars whenever the urge hit him, unwinding at home watching TV with a beer when he didn’t want to go out. That all changed for him two years ago when he got the call from the hospital.

There had been an accident. His closest friends, Jason and Amy, had been in a car crash and the outcome wasn’t looking to be positive. He grabbed his jacket, running out the door, hailing the closest cab, and directed it to get him to the hospital. They were gone by the time he arrived, and their daughter Jas, was in critical condition. Jason and Shane had grown up together since elementary school and had never been far apart since. When Jas was born they had asked him to be the Godfather. The woman who was chosen to be the Godmother disappeared from their lives about a year later, and neither Jason nor Amy had any family other than the one they created with Shane. Every holiday, every moment, they all flashed through his mind as he held his head in his hands sitting next to Jas’s bed.

He didn’t leave her side for two days and then she woke up. He had to try and explain to her that her parents were gone, but how do you explain that to a three year old? When she was released a week later, Shane brought her home. His home was no place to raise a child, his life was not one that even knew how to take care of a child. He knew he would need help and there was only one person he knew he would be able to turn to. He picked up his phone and called his Aunt Marnie.

Two weeks later they arrived in Pelican Town. The ranch was exactly as he remembered, the town smaller than he remembered. Any time someone new comes into Pelican Town it causes a ruckus, so it was no surprise that the entire day people found reasons to pop into the ranch. Jas was still so young that she adapted quickly, but for Shane, it was too much to handle. He knew he wouldn’t be able to let Jas go into the system. Jason and Amy were always there for him no matter how much he would try and push them away at times. His constant struggle with depression pushed many people away, but not Jason, and not Amy. He felt he owed his friends this; he owed them giving their child a chance at something. He didn’t want to be a burden to Marnie, and there wasn’t a huge need for someone who worked in an office in Pelican Town, so he took the one job that was open, funny enough in a Joja Mart. Stocking shelves was a far cry from where he was, but a job was a job and he wanted to be able to help pull his weight for both himself and Jas. 

Time came and went, the routine stayed the same. The only difference is the longer that time went on the more the depression was coming back. He started off trying to hide it but as always it started to just take over his life. He made it to work, sometimes barely, and sometimes took his lunch breaks at the saloon to have a beer, just to make it through. Marnie may have noticed, but never said anything to him. Jas was spending her days with Penny and Vincent, doing whatever passed in a town with less than 30 people. He wondered if it was all a mistake coming here, bringing her here. How was this a better life? There wasn’t even a real school, what chance would she have of escaping all of this? 

Work nights always were at the saloon, drinking by himself, hoping he could forget all of it, even if it was only for a few hours. When he first started showing up there the people would try and talk to him. Emily was always chatty though her sister never even tried. Abigail invited him to play pool with her, Sebastian, and Sam, but he told her he wasn’t interested that night or any night. Penny was the only one who really was able to say more than just a few sentences and that was only when it was about Jas. It took them a few months, but they all finally began to understand he wasn’t interested in their company. Marnie tried to set him up a couple of times with the woman who lived right by the ranch, Leah the artist, but Shane shut that down the moment it would come up. He didn’t want people to know him and he didn’t want to know people. The more you care about people the more it hurt when they inevitably left you in some way or another. 

He woke up about a week ago and heard Lewis talking to Marnie about a new person coming to town to take over the old farm north of the ranch. That place was deserted and run down; Shane couldn’t figure out who would be so desperate that they would want to take over that pile of rocks. He would often cut through there to go to work to avoid having to walk by the homes to the south. Less people, less chance of bullshit small talk. He heard their voices drop to a whisper and a soft giggle. “I don’t know what they think they are hiding from anyone, the whole town knows.” he thought to himself as he dragged himself out of bed, grabbing the aspirin for his all too familiar headache. He got dressed and headed out of his room, hoping to get out the door without them noticing him.

“Shane!” Marnie called out to him. “There is going to be a new farmer moving to Pelican Town next week! We will have to make sure we greet them and introduce ourselves when they arrive.”

“Yeah, not really interested.” he stated curtly and left.

Then today happened. He never listened to the town people talking, having learned to drown them out. He was taking his familiar path after work to head to the saloon and he saw an auburn haired girl looking down at the ground and walking behind Lewis and Robin. He kept to his path, head nodded to them as a greeting that required no words and felt a force crash into him. She stumbled to the side losing her footing and before he could even think about it, reached out to steady her. She looked up at him, startled and a little lost looking.

“Why don’t you watch where you are going?” Shane snarled. He heard the apology start, leading into an introduction, and really did not want to proceed any further. “Yeah, I don’t care and I don’t know why you are still talking.” he managed to get out while he walked around her.

The Saloon was busy and he took his familiar spot. Everyone around him was talking about the new person, when they would be arriving, what they would be like. Shane grabbed his beer and drowned them out as normal until all he could hear was the sound of the pool balls being hit, the sound from the arcade machines by him, and the music from the older than dirt jukebox. He couldn’t help but think a few times of the girl who literally crashed into him, her surprised expression, the blush of her cheeks. It wouldn’t be long until she became like everyone else was in this old town, just another fixture in a town where nothing important ever happened.


	4. Farm Work Ain't Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate wakes up to find a gift, meets a new boy, and chats with an old acquaintance. She also gets some work done on clearing out the farm because let's be honest, we were all shocked when we first got to the farm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I said slow I didn't think of how slow it would actually be! While I seriously cannot wait to jump into some interactions and experiences, the truth is those things take time and you have to set the scene. I should have just done a bunch of one shots. I also find that originally I thought I would never be able to write in the you/your/YN tenses, but I often have to find myself fixing it to add in the name. The things we learn as we go and it is too late now to change it! 
> 
> I really want to thank everyone reading this and I promise once we get through all the set ups I will start throwing in some angsty drama fluffiness because I live for that. I have been really enjoying the process of writing and I just love this world and these characters so much I wanted to dabble and get my feet wet into the fanfic pool. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the hits, the kudos, and if you feel so inclined, leave a comment! It really does inspire me to keep pushing forward. 
> 
> Until next time!

Year 1 - Spring 2

Kate’s alarm went off at 6 AM, like it always did, and for a brief moment she had forgotten that she was no longer in Zuzu city heading off to another day at Joja Corporate. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and stepped out of bed, surprised to not feel the normal carpeted floor beneath her feet. She looked around and then remembered that she did indeed leave everything behind and here she was, proud owner of a rundown farm. She was happy to see there was some instant coffee in the basket Robin had left for her. While she didn’t normally drink instant coffee, her coffee maker wouldn’t arrive for another two days when she got the rest of her belongings. 

She took out a biscuit and some preserves so she could make a little breakfast before starting on her day. It was too early to really go exploring so she grabbed the map to take a look at the town, taking notice of when the stores opened. She noticed there was a general store, as well as a Joja Mart, and she knew she would frequent the general store over the Joja Mart. She also noticed that they didn’t open until 9, so she had some time before she could check it out.

She walked out of the front door and noticed a big basket on her porch. Inside was a hoe, a pickaxe, a small axe, a scythe, and a water can as well as a small packet of seeds. There was a card attached that read “Welcome to Pelican Town! We look forward to meeting you soon!” and was signed by Marnie, Shane, and Jas. There was a small business card attached to it that just said “Marnie’s Ranch” with a picture of a chicken. She smiled to herself but then reread the names and snorted. Shane was the name of the person who she collided with and with a town of less than 30 people she doubted there was more than one Shane. She definitely could not imagine that he was looking forward to meeting her again.

She looked on her map looking to see where Marnie’s ranch was located and was happy to see that it was really close to her farm. She wanted to stop in and thank her for her welcome and generosity. You picked up the pickaxe and looked at the scope of land in front of her again, starting to feel overwhelmed, the familiar panic she had experienced before starting to make its way up her body. She breathed slowly in and out, in and out, focusing on just one spot. That is what she would do. Focus on just one spot at a time.

She took her basket and brought it over to the far right hand side of the farm, where the pathway was into the town. She took out the axe and started to chop off the pieces of wood that were small enough to chop but too big to lug off whole. She got lost in the chopping, the hacking up rogue grass, doing her best to break up rocks. She was so lost in thought that she was startled when she heard a throat clearing behind her. She turned around, axe held high, and was surprised to see a blond man standing in front of her.

“Woah, it’s okay! I come in peace!” he said, backing up slightly. 

Kate put the axe down and dusted herself off. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t hear you and I was lost in all of this work.”

The young man laughed and held out his hand. “I understand. You have a lot of work cut out for you here. I’m Sam, and live just down the road. Well everyone here lives just down the road. I am sure you will have a lot of people popping in over the next few days, you being new and all. We don’t have too many new people move in, so it’s always a big deal.”

Kate returned his smile and shook his hand. This was so different from the last man she met just the day before and it made her feel a little better. “Well, I appreciate you coming around and saying hi. I wish I had something to offer you…”

“Oh, no, it’s okay! I was just on my way to work and decided to peek in and see if you were outside. Listen, me and my friends usually get together on Friday nights at the Saloon to play pool if you ever want a break from weed pulling and wood chopping. We’d love to have you join us.” he offered. 

Kate looked at the handsome boy and smiled. It did sound nice to think about taking a break but meeting new people always made her nervous. She had a feeling she was going to have to come out of her shell at some point. “I am sure I would be happy to join you all as soon as I make some more headway on the land. I’ll need a break by then!” 

Sam said goodbye and headed out the way he came. Kate got back to work, letting the time pass as she made piles of wood, stone, and fiber. “I may be able to do something with this one of these days.” She decided to stop for a moment after checking her watch and seeing it was 11 AM. She wanted to go thank Marnie as without her gift, she would have not been able to have made any progress with her day.

She found a pathway leading down and entered a forest clearing. It was so different from the cluttered area that she almost felt like she was in a different town all together. She easily found Marnie’s ranch and opened the door. She immediately smelled hay and saw an older woman standing behind a counter.

“Good morning! You must be Kate, Jim’s granddaughter! It is so nice to meet you!” Marnie smiled coming from behind the counter and giving the girl a hug. “I just loved your Grandpa and was so sorry when he passed. You probably don’t remember me but I remember you coming every summer. Jim was always so excited when you were coming in for the summer.”

“Of course I remember you, Marnie! It’s so good to see you again and it is good to be back. Thank you so much for the gift! It has really come in handy today.” Kate felt a warmth talking to Marnie and seeing her bright smile. Just then a little girl, around 5 with violet hair, came out of a side room and stared at Kate. Kate bent down to her level and held her hand out to the girl. “Hello, I’m Kate. What’s your name?”  
“Uncle Shane told me I should never talk to strangers.” she whispered in a small voice. 

“Oh, Jas, it’s okay! Kate is our neighbor now and she lives at the farm right above us, I am sure you both will be great friends.” Marnie told her. “You should wait right outside for Penny and Vincent, they should be here soon.” Jas ran by them and stepped outside. “Jas is just a little shy but she warms up quickly. Hey, if you need help clearing up things I can see when Shane is available. He is my nephew and stays here with me.”

Clearly Shane had not told his aunt about their run in yesterday and Kate had the feeling that she probably shouldn’t either. “Oh no, it’s fine. It’s hard work but honestly it’s been pretty helpful to keep myself busy and to learn the land a bit.”

“Ha, that is just what Jim said when he first bought that farm. I always thought there was something magical about it because no one grew better produce than your Grandpa. Ok, dear, well thank you for stopping by and you let me know when you are ready to have some animals. I have the best animals around and it isn’t just because I have the only animals around!” Kate smiled at Marnie and said your goodbyes before heading out. Jas wasn’t outside anymore, so you figured she must have met up with her friends. 

Kate got back to work and realized by the end of the day there was one little section cleared out. Just enough to be able to get the ground ready tomorrow and plant the seeds that were gifted to her. She was exhausted and didn’t feel like heading out anywhere else or making new introductions so she took out the last of the biscuits and ate them before turning in. Tomorrow she would have to venture farther out into Pelican Town for provisions and scope out the local scene.


	5. Beach Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate has yet another run in with Shane but can she crack through his tough exterior? She also has her first meeting with another one of the town folk who show her not all of the residents are quite as grumpy and unwelcoming as one is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, usually I have a blueprint of where I want a story to go and sometimes they take on a life of their own and take off in their own direction. This was such a chapter. I thought we were just going to buy some seeds but destiny has other things in mind so here we are.
> 
> Thank you as always to those reading!

Year 1 - Spring 3

Kate woke up at her normal 6 AM time, ready to start the day. She was looking forward to getting her first crop going and also taking some time to check out the town. She realized she would need to stop and get some food as her basket had run out of items other than the jar of pickles. Kate wasn’t a huge fan of pickles and she hadn’t reached the desperate stage of feeling like she needed to eat them yet.

She set out with her hoe and watering can and set out to plant the 15 parsnip seeds she had been gifted. This part was not nearly as exhausting as cutting down trees and breaking rocks and soon she found herself enjoying the feel of the soil on her hands. Once they were buried in the ground she took care to water each seed and headed back inside to clean up before changing to go into town.

It was 8:30 and it was still a little early for Pierre’s General Store to be open so she decided to take a walk to the beach. It had been years since she had been there and the closer she got the more she thought about her Grandpa. They had spent many days in the summer making sand castles, finding oysters and mussels for dinners. She found she didn’t even need the map, letting the memories lead her along the way.

She spotted a familiar looking blue hoodie a bit ahead walking down the street. She felt a blush come to her cheeks and tried to keep herself out of sight. After the first encounter she had with him she didn’t want to make him more upset. “Maybe if I don’t literally slam into him it will be a bit better and his name was on the card for the farm tools. I should thank him.” she thought, picking up her steps a little. When she got close enough where she knew she could get his attention she called out, “Excuse me, Shane?”

He stopped walking but didn’t fully turn around. Kate caught up to him and cleared her throat. “I just wanted to apologize again for bumping into you the other day. I should have watched where I was going. Also, thank you for the gift! The tools have definitely come in handy…”

Shane turned around and stared at the girl. There was no denying she was pretty, with her auburn hair and hazel eyes, but the last thing he needed was someone else trying to talk to him. “First off, I didn’t give you anything. I’m sure that was my aunt, but I had nothing to do with it. Second, I don’t have time to chat with you. Not all of us have the ability to just walk around town and play being a farmer.”

Kate was stunned. The first time she had run into him she understood that she may have been in the wrong and wrote off the gruff experience. Now though she was being nothing but friendly, even apologizing, and this guy was still rude. “I don’t know what your problem is but where I come from, people don’t treat each other this way when someone is trying to apologize.”

Shane scoffed at the girl. “Didn’t you come from Zuzu? Yeah, word gets around and you don’t need to ask questions to learn things about people, even if you don’t care. Wouldn’t you agree that in Zuzu it is more common to ignore people, which is exactly what I am trying to do?”

Kate didn’t have an answer to that and felt the sting of tears come to her eyes at his words. She didn’t know what she had done to deserve his hatred of her but he was not going to let him see her cry. She brushed past him and walked quickly to the beach. 

Once there she sat down and let the tears come out. The last week had been such a surge of emotions and they were all now washing over her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. She saw a man, with long blond hair, standing above her.

“Pardon me for interrupting, but are you okay?” he asked her, his eyes searching her face. He looked at her gently and spoke softly, almost as if he would scare her away if he spoke any louder.

She quickly wiped her face and stood up. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see anyone here. I’m fine, thank you.” She thought about how she must appear to him, all teary eyed, face puffy.

“You must be Kate, new to Pelican Town, and favorite person to wonder about over the last week. I’m Elliot, and live right over there. Would you like a cup of tea?” He took her hand and led her to his shack without waiting for an answer.

He opened the door and the first thing she noticed was the piano. “Do you play often?” she asked. She loved piano music, all music, but was not musically gifted herself. She had started to calm down and gratefully accepted the cup of tea and scone Elliot offered her.

“I dabble but I wouldn’t say that is where my passions lie. I write and spend most of my time poured over my writing desk or searching around for inspiration. It’s nice to take a break now and then to play a little.” he answered. “If I may ask, what is a pretty girl doing crying on a beach at 9 AM? It’s okay if you don’t want to answer, but in case you needed to talk about it.”

Kate looked down, not meeting his eyes. She was too embarrassed to admit that Shane had made her cry and she felt foolish. She decided she would tell him a partial truth, hoping it would be enough. “I used to spend summers here with my Grandpa. We were very close and I took it hard when he passed. This is the first time I have been back in 10 years and the memories caught up with me today.”

“That is more than understandable. It takes time to process these things, and the grief process doesn’t end just because it’s a certain amount of time.” Elliot told her. 

“I wish this wasn’t our first meeting. I certainly would have made a better impression if I wasn’t sitting on the beach, covered in sand, and crying.” Kate laughed.  


Elliot smiled at her and gave her a sshhh noise. “It was exactly as it should have happened, and who knows, this could be the start of my best selling romance novel!” he told her with a wink. 

“Thank you for the tea but I really should be heading out. I need to go to the General store to get some provisions for the next few days.” Kate said standing up to walk outside. 

“I’ll walk you to Pierre’s. It’s not far and I am heading in that direction myself.” Elliot offered. Together they set out with Kate feeling like she may have made her first real friend in town.


	6. Joja Mart Escapades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate heads to Joja Mart for the first time and bumps into Sam. She also bumps into Shane, though not literally and shows that she isn't going to just let him bully her forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to fit in two chapters today, Day 5 Day and Night. I was originally going to put them all in the same chapter, but I felt it may be a bit long winded. I gotta start moving her towards some action and Friday night seems like a good time to do it.
> 
> I think it's time my girl meets my equally favorite male character, Sebastian. Really, this is going to be a tough decision for her at some point and even I don't know which way it will go.

Year 1 - Spring 5 Day

It was finally Friday. It had only been less than a week that she had been here and she was still conditioned to feel like Friday was something to be excited about. She bound out of bed, ready to start the day. She grabbed her watering can and set out and was surprised to see her parsnips looking like the were 90% ready to be harvested. She paused, thinking that even though she may not have more experience farming it did seem like this was a really fast turnaround time. She watered them then set out to clear some more of the farm so she would be able to start some different crops.

Her last few days had pretty much followed the same pattern. Her personal items had arrived from the moving company a few days ago. She didn’t have much room in her home but she was able to make it more comfortable with her furnishings. She had placed what she couldn’t fit in the back of her home for now, hoping at some point she would be able to expand on her house as Robin suggested. She was able to set up a microwave but was sad to learn Pierre’s really didn’t carry much in the way of frozen meals so she knew she would have to go to Joja Mart at least for now until she was able to get a kitchen.

She had met up with Elliot again at the beach and he had introduced her to Leah, the artist who lived by Marnie. Kate smiled, watching them interact, having a feeling that there may be more than just friendship between the two. She wondered if they had any idea of it themselves. Her time in Zuzu gave her a good sense when people watching and she figured it wouldn’t be long before at least one of them figured it out. 

She finished up and started to head towards the Joja Mart, wanting to get the food items she needed so she would be able to have a warm lunch. 

“Hey, Farm Girl!” she heard someone yell and she turned around. Jogging towards her was Sam, the boy she met a few days ago. “I was hoping to bump into you again! I hadn’t seen you around for the last few days and was hoping that you didn’t pack up and move back to the city.” he smiled at her.

“Hi, Sam,” she laughed, “No, I’ve just been busy at the farm getting things set up. I don’t see much happening for Spring, but hopefully I can make some headway for Summer or Fall.”

“Gasp, you remembered my name!” he teased, putting his hand over his heart. “Hey, I can always see if I can help on my days off if you need an extra hand. No strings attached, promise. I wouldn’t mind doing something other than sweeping floors at Joja.” 

“Oh, that’s a really nice offer, but I couldn’t ask you to do work on your actual day off!” Kate protested. 

“I hope you didn’t forget about tonight. Come to the Saloon and hang out with us! I need someone else besides Sebastian to play pool against, and I am sure Abigail would like having another girl around.” 

“You know, I think I will.” Kate answered. As much as going out was something that made her nervous she really liked Sam’s energy. It was nice to think of having a group of friends to meet up with on a Friday, something she didn’t have in the city. 

“Well, we have made it, to the promised land of processed food and capitalism.” Sam joked, holding the door open for her. He bowed as she passed and she gave him a quick curtsey. She was almost blinded by the bright artificial light and neon signs after 5 days of being on the farm and on the beach. 

“Hopefully I won’t have to shop here too much longer.” she said aloud and Sam feigned shock. 

“I should go punch in before Morris shows up out of thin air to point out how much of a slacker I am. I really hope to see you tonight, Kate.” Sam said before bounding out. Kate smiled as he took off and went towards the freezer section. She figured she only had the space for about three days worth of food. She would just concentrate on getting some frozen dinners she could have for a quick lunch, preferring to pick up any fresh produce from Pierre’s.

She opened a door looking over the variety. She picked out some Pepper Poppers, a couple of pizzas, and a burrito. “Food of champions.” she said to herself. As she started walking towards the register she noticed Shane, stocking a shelf down the way. She debated taking another direction to avoid him but that plan went out the window when he looked up and noticed her. She was not going to let him know that her experiences with him had stayed in her mind so she continued along her original route.

Shane noticed the Pepper Poppers and had a small smile escape his lips before he could stop it. When she got closer he turned in her direction almost blocking her path. 

“Fuck, I should have avoided him.” Kate thought, preparing herself for the expected Shane rude comment he always had whenever he saw her.

“Well, at least you have good taste.” he said, his dark eyes fixed on her.

She couldn’t help but feel the defensive walls come up. “Oh, are we talking to me now? You sure you don’t want to add in something snide, because this is really unlike you, Shane. I’m sure you don’t care about my tastes, or have time to discuss them, so we can just leave it at that.” Kate said, continuing to walk by him. Kate almost felt bad, just for a moment, before she decided he had earned it.

Shane could hear Sam’s laugh as he caught the whole exchange while he was putting on his apron, carrying his broom. “Don’t you have some floor to sweep somewhere else?” Shane barked at Sam, who still had a smile on his face.

“I dunno, this sure looked like a mess to clean up here.” Sam mocked. It wasn’t often that someone actually stood up to Shane’s bullshit and Sam was all about it. Sam had the notion that the farm girl was going to be a great fit in this small sleepy town.


	7. Ocean Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate has a night on the town, or the Saloon. She meets some new people, including a very good looking Sebastian. She also gets in a dig at Shane, but will this push him away or make him interested?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer but man, a girl has to start flirting somewhere. I know I have said it before, but the stories kinda write themselves, so there may be some changes. I know we are never given real ages, but for the sake of the story Sam, Seb, and Abi are all 21. Also, I decided Abi has a crush on another female in town, but I don't know who yet. The game sort of pushes a Seb/Abi pairing if you don't go that route, but I really wanted Abi to be a proper female friend rather than a rival. I am all about women being positive to other women and I want to reflect that in my writing.
> 
> This is kind of how my play through was. I really felt pulled towards Seb, but man, Shane being a dick really got my interests peaked. I hope you all are enjoying this and I really hope you are all staying home and safe.

Year 1 - Spring 5 - Night

Kate enjoyed her lunch of microwaved pizza as much as one could enjoy a microwaved pizza. She thought about dipping into her savings sooner rather than later to upgrade her home, if only for the kitchen. She was getting used to the smaller space, and honestly, it made her realize how little space she actually needed, but a kitchen was a must have. She checked her account through her cell phone and saw she would be able to comfortably make that small upgrade. She knew Robin would also need some wood so Kate resolved to spend Saturday and Sunday chopping down some trees to hopefully get enough wood. It wasn’t as if she had a lack of trees, but she wasn’t sure she had the energy to chop down an entire addition to a home in two days. 

“That’s negative thinking and we aren’t gonna do that.” she spoke to herself. “I will go to Robin’s and get that addition scheduled on Monday, no matter what.” she finished.

It was 4:00 and she wanted to start getting ready for the Saloon. She was nervous, but excited, to meet Sam’s friends. Sam had been so welcoming and nice that she couldn’t imagine his friends would be that different. She chose some jeans and a t-shirt since this town didn’t seem like the type that really had a club scene. Plus, she knew the Saloon was pretty low key. 

She pulled her hair into a messy bun, taking the time to make sure it looked properly messy and not rolled out of bed or worked on a farm all day messy. She put on some light make-up, nothing too much, but enough to enhance her eyes. She had noticed being outside so much was giving her some additional color naturally that she never had being inside all day and night in the city.

At about 4:30 she headed out to start walking to the Saloon and it didn’t take her long to get there. She walked in to some music playing, a woman with blue hair and an older man behind the bar. She had a memory of the man, his name was Gus, from her time here as a child. They both looked up at her as she entered, the man calling out a greeting and beckoning her over.

“Oh my! Is that little Katie I see?” Gus yelled over the music. “It’s been far too long, dear!” he smiled at Kate. 

Kate really didn’t like being called Katie, but she didn’t have the heart to correct those that knew her when that was the only name she went by in her younger years. “Hello, Gus! It has been too long. Glad to see this place is just as I remember!”

The blue haired girl came over, all smiles, practically beaming at her. “I’m Emily! I’m so sorry I haven’t had a chance to stop over yet, but it is so nice to finally meet you!”

“Hello, Emily, it’s nice to meet you too! I love your hair, it’s so vibrant!” Kate responded feeling more confident in her decision to come out. Just then Sam came running over to her, linking his arm through hers.  
“Kate! I knew you would come and wouldn’t just blow us off like Sebastian said you probably would. Abi is over there. Grab a drink and come over so I can introduce you.” Sam stated before heading back over to the game area. Kate took a look and saw that a young purple haired girl was sitting on the couch looking in your general direction.

“Gus, you still have the same arcade machines. I hope I can do better with them this time then I could back in the day.” you said laughing. 

“I’m sure that won’t be an issue.” Gus joked, “And what can I get you?”

“I’ll start simple with just a beer, please.” Kate answered and before you could blink Emily was handing over a perfectly poured beer. She went to grab her wallet but Gus shook it off. “Tonight, the first drink is on the house, for your Grandpa.” Kate smiled and thanked them both before heading over to where the two young people were.

“Abi, this is Kate. Kate, this is Abi. Her father runs Pierre’s.” Sam introduced and you took a seat next to the girl.

“It’s nice to meet you, Abi. Your hair is great too! I love how bright it is and it’s such a pretty color.”

“I heard someone was moving onto that old farm. It’s kinda a shame since I really liked exploring those overgrown fields.” she answered, smirking.

“Trust me, there are still plenty of overgrown fields and I am sure there will be for a while. It’s taking me a lot longer to get through it than I thought it would. Feel free to pop over whenever you want.”

“Hey, I really like your messy bun. Do you think one day you could show me how you get it to look like that? I’ve been trying but it just looks like I jumped off a high speed train.”

Sam sighed, “I don’t know what you guys are even talking about. Oh thank Yoba Sebastian is here.”

Kate looked up to see a dark haired boy heading toward their area. He was dressed in all black and walked with his head down. When he looked up she felt her breath catch in her throat. His hair was beautifully messy, sticking up and slouching over all at the same time. She could feel her heart beating slightly faster. “This is ridiculous.” she thought to herself. She put her head down quickly so hopefully the blush in her cheeks wouldn’t be so noticable. She could feel Abi staring at her so she knew she had to do something. She quickly finished her beer and headed over to the bar to get another one, taking her wallet out of her back pocket.

“Hi, Emily, could I have another beer? And do you know what they prefer? I’d like to buy a round.”

Emily handed you your beer and also a can of Joja Cola. “Sam likes Joja. Abi does like beer, but her dad is here tonight so she will just drink juice. I’ll get you another beer for Sebby.” She was working on getting the drinks when Kate noticed Elliot and Leah at the other side of the Saloon. She went over really quick to say a quick hello.

“Glad to see you are making the rounds! Those kids, well not kids, they are all your age, are given a bad rap but honestly, they are good people.” Elliot commented. “It’s nice to see you making some friends and I can’t wait to hear what you think about your first country Friday night next time we get together.” he said, giving you a wink before you head back over to the bar. While Kate was talking to Elliot she failed to see Shane standing at the bar, next to the drinks that Emily had put together.

Kate headed back to the bar, feeling her anger slowly rising at having to see Shane twice in one day. She grabbed the drinks carefully after placing some money on the counter. Emily nodded at her and you looked over at Shane, who was also looking at you. It was if neither of you knew what to do but knew someone was going to have to acknowledge the other at some point. Kate put the drinks back down and pulled out her wallet, throwing some more money on the bar. “Hey Emily, get his next drink on me too. It may make him more tolerable.”

Emily turned around, mouth slightly agape. No one ever sassed back Shane and this was simply amazing. “Will do!” she said, trying not to laugh.

Shane glared at Kate, watching her grab the drinks and walk away. He had to admit there was something about her that made him think about her more than he wanted to. He knew it was also a small town, but he seemed to have run ins with her a lot, or maybe it was just because she was getting into his head that he noticed them more. 

Kate headed back over, passing the drinks around and found herself face to face with who could only be Sebastian. “Hi, I’m Kate. You must be Sebastian.”

He looked at her, witnessing her encounter with Shane, and was impressed. He took the beer, smiled at her, and answered, “I think that’s supposed to be my opening but I will go with oh you just moved in right? Cool.”

Kate smiled at him and nodded. He continued to look at her and asked, “Of all places, you move to Pelican Town?”

“I mean, yeah, isn’t this like the hottest spot in the Valley? Great nightlife, number one tourist destination this side of the ocean?” Kate teased back.

“And she’s snarky! Be still, my heart.” Sam said lining up his shot. “Tonight may be the night, Sebastian, where I kick your ass.”

“Thanks, for the beer. It’s nice meeting you, even if it’s here. Nice handling of Shane, by the way. He’s the town dick and most people just give him a wide berth.”

“Honestly, I’m not usually that bad. I’ve just had a few unpleasant run ins with him and I probably was a little too mean.” Kate started to feel a little bad, embarrassing him like that in front of the bar. She glanced over at him and he held his beer up to her in what could only be a sarcastic thanks. 

“You’re fine,” Sebastian said, and Kate turned around to look at him again. She could feel her cheeks getting warmer, but maybe that was the beer. She really wanted to talk to him longer, about anything, but then she heard Abi’s voice ring out.

“Sebastian, go play pool and let me hang out with Kate.” Abi pleaded. He obliged and Kate headed over to go hang out with Abi.

“So,” she whispered, “Is it me, or do you seem to blush a little at certain times?” she inquired. Kate shot her head towards her and started to shake her head no. “No, no, it’s okay. If you listen to the town gossip, you’ll hear that me and Sebastian are headed towards the altar. It couldn’t be farther from the truth, so don’t worry about it. He’s a really great guy, but honestly, with a girl as pretty as you, I think you’ll have quite a few men banging at your door.”

Kate laughed, that being the farthest thing from her mind. She couldn’t help but notice Shane standing by himself by the fireplace. “What’s his deal?” she asked Abi, glad she could finally ask someone.

“Oh, Shane. No one knows really. He showed up here about two years ago and I think the most anyone knows about him is his name and that he likes beer. Please don’t tell me you are interested in Shane. That is the wrong path that’ll get you nowhere, girl.” Abi took another sip of her juice. “I wish my dad would leave. I really want a drink.”

Time passed pretty much the same, Abi and Kate chatting, with Sebastian and Sam playing pool. More beers were passed around and Kate’s brain started to get a little wobbly. “I should probably head home. I have a busy day of tree cutting tomorrow.” she said to Abi and Sam. “Thank you for welcoming me and inviting me. I had a really good time!” She looked around for Sebastian but he must have slipped off somewhere.

“If you’re looking for Sebastian, he’s probably out having a smoke.” Sam noted. “You can just say bye to him outside. You okay to walk home?” he asked. 

“Definitely. I don’t think I can get lost.” Kate laughed, heading out, waving to Gus and Emily as she left. She noticed Shane standing there and decided to give him a salute. The beer must have gotten to her more than she knew because she almost thought he smiled.

She walked out into the crisp air and saw Sebastian over on the side. She approached him and held her hand out. “I’m taking off but it was really nice meeting you, Sebastian. I hope we can do this again sometime.”

He took Kate’s hand and she could feel a small jolt of electricity go through her. “Definitely the beer.” she thought to herself. 

“Let me walk you home. I am heading home too and there is a shortcut through your farm. As long as you don’t mind?” Before she could answer he was inside saying goodnight and then back outside. “Let’s go.” 

Kate and Sebastian headed off together, the night dark, trying to make small talk. She learned he is a programmer and he learned she worked for Joja Corp. She told him about her first few days on the farm and how she was enjoying learning the town over again as an adult.

“Well, we reached your house. If you are ever coming over to see my mom, just cut up right through here and follow the path. You’ll end up right in the mountains and you can’t miss it.”

The night air and beers had given Kate a certain confidence she didn’t normally have and as she looked at the beautiful boy in front of her she couldn’t help but flirt a little.

“What if I am coming over to see you?” she asked him with a hint of flirtatiousness. 

Sebastian looked at her for a long bit before responding. “Take the same way.” he replied with a smirk. “I’ll see you next Friday? Unless you plan to actually come see me before then?”

“I’m fairly certain one of those things will happen.” Kate said, walking towards him. It was his eyes, they pulled her into him. Before she could reach him she ended up tripping over a rock she hadn’t broken yet, falling forward. Sebastian reacted quickly, grabbing her before she could fall flat on her face. She stood up, face to face with Sebastian, staring into his eyes, so close you could smell the lingering beer, smoke, and cologne. Next thing Kate knew she was laughing at how of course a rock would get in the way of trying to flirt. He joined in, making sure Kate was okay before patting her shoulders.

“Be careful walking back to your house.” Sebastian said, the moment broken. He gave a wave and headed on his way. 

Kate headed to the door, letting herself in and flopping on her bed. Two similar experiences with two different men and two very different outcomes. She thought about both men, slipping into slumber, thinking of strong arms lifting her up.


	8. Boy with A Thorn In His Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spend some time in Sebastian's mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted this chapter to be one from Seb's view point, and the next one we are probably going to Shane before I head back to Kate.
> 
> Sebastian is an odd duck for me. He really reminds me of someone who would be really into The Cure, or The Smiths. He has this sort of bad boy exterior, but is actually a cinnamon roll at the end of the day. I think he can be aloof, and that will come as they get closer, because I feel like Seb would be conflicted on whether he would trust her as well as himself enough to fully let down his guard. I find on a deeper level, Shane and Sebastian are kinda similar. They both are standoffish, Shane more rude about it, but still there. I imagine Seb also doesn't have the highest opinion of himself with his step dad issues, his job that no one understands, etc. Shane is stuck in a very mundane rut, with his life not being anything of what he thought it was going to be. One is abrasive and one is protective, but I think they battle some of the same things.
> 
> My Seb may be a little softer than he is in the game when he first meets the Farmer, but I am basing this on what my impressions were when I started playing and was introduced to Sebby. I love sad bois.

Year 1 - Spring 5 (and slightly before)

Sebastian lit another cigarette after leaving Kate’s farm, unable to keep the smile off his face. She certainly was an interesting girl and full of surprises. He stopped for a moment, thinking back to when she started to approach him. He wasn’t sure if it was the beer or if she was genuinely interested in him. What would have happened if she didn’t fall? Would she have kissed him? Would he have kissed her? It was a situation he had never been in before.

He knew everyone expected him and Abi to be a thing, and if he was honest, he had hoped for it himself when they were in school together. It was when he, Abi, and Sam started their misfit trio and they started spending a lot of time together. Sam had a game he wanted to start playing, Solarion Chronicles: The Game, which he explained was a tabletop game where you told most of the story and didn’t actually play it on a console. Abi was different from the other girls he had ever met. She wanted to be a warrior, swing swords, adventure. It was so different from Haley or even Emily, who was different but still very girly. Penny was always lost in her books and kept to herself. It was hard to not find himself infatuated with the girl he was closest to, the one who changed her hair color depending on her mood. Time passed, and they even talked about it, but in the end they decided they were better as friends. He had a feeling that Abi still had some soul searching to do on her own to find what she really wanted in life.

Kate though, Kate was the first thing he noticed as soon as he walked in. Her auburn hair up in a bun, already laughing with his friends, her eyes found his as soon as he entered. She had already gone back over to the bar before he had made his way over, stopping to say hi to his mom and Demetrius. He didn’t want to say hello to him, but he knew his mom would be upset that he didn’t. He didn’t have the greatest relationship with his step-father, or his half-sister Maru, but he never wanted to upset his mom. She meant the world to him and if all he had to do was acknowledge Demetrius, then it was a small price to pay.

“Hey guys, that the new girl?” Sebastian asked, already knowing the answer but asking it anyways. 

“Yeah,” Abi answered quickly, “and she is great. I think she is going to fit in with us really well. Sam actually did something right this time.” 

Sam scoffed, “What do you mean this time? I am a master of being able to see the true depths of people.” 

“Ah yes, like when you spent all of high school trying to get Haley’s attention.” Abi retorted. “How did that work out for you? The closest I saw to anything happening like that was when you helped her home with her 25 packages that all came in from her online shopping. Yoba, she’s so vapid.”

Sebastian ignored them, watching the girl at the bar. She was clearly getting more than one drink and he could just about hear what was going on. He saw how rigid she looked standing next to Shane, which was the opposite of how he saw her when she was with the group. He heard her comment about buying him a drink to make him more tolerable, and so did Sam apparently because he started laughing as soon as it was out of his mouth.

“Man, she really has it out for him. She destroyed him earlier at Joja.” Sam said. “I don’t know what he has managed to already do to her but I am going to do my best to stay on her good side.”

She came back over with the drinks and introductions were made. The night went on and while she spent most of the time chatting with Abi, he still noticed little things, like her leg bouncing almost in a rhythm. How she would play with her hands during conversations. Sebastian knew all these things as signs of nervousness and anxiety very well. At some point he decided to step out for a smoke break as he normally did. He was surprised a few moments later to see her coming out of the Saloon, upright, but a little wobbly. She came over to him, offering her hand, to say goodnight. 

Sebastian knew it was still a little early for him to leave for the night but he wanted to spend some time with her, so he offered to walk her home. They made small talk and soon enough they were at her stop. He was a little sad she didn’t live farther so he could spend longer. He was not the type to invite himself into somewhere and especially not when someone wasn’t completely sober to make the decision. He didn’t think she was that drunk that she didn’t have her wits about her, but still, he’d rather nothing happen that could be questionable. Her eyes though, the fact that they weren’t just one color, but rather a mix of brown, blue, green, like the world was in her eyes.

“What if I am coming over to see you?” she asked in a tone that could only be read as flirtatious. He stopped and stared at her, searching her eyes as well as he could under the moonlight. He saw her walking towards him, saw the rock, and before he could give a warning, saw her start to fall. He reached out quickly, catching her and putting her back upright. They were so close, all he had to do was lean in a little, turn his head a little, close the distance a little. Then she started laughing and it was just so damn cute.

He patted her on the shoulders, saying goodbye, and hoping the comment she made about searching him out wasn’t due to some beer.

Coming back to the present time, Sebastian stomped out the finished cigarette but held it in his hand so he could throw it in the bin by his house. He figured he still had some time before his parents came home from their weekly Friday date.

He opened the door surprised to see them standing with Maru by the counter, all leaned in talking about the bar.  
“And then she told Emily to put a beer for Shane on her tab to make him…” Robin was saying but stopped when she saw Sebastian.

“Oh, hey hun. We came home a little early after we noticed you leaving. At the same time as a certain new girl in town..” Robin said, winking at him.

“I just walked her home to make sure she got home okay.” Sebastian answered, not wanting to get into it. Of course they would all be here at the moment he just wanted to go to his room.

“Well, that was awfully nice of you. I think she’s sweet.” Maru said.

“She sure spent a lot of time with Sebby and his gang.” Demetrius offered. “Surprised me a little since I wouldn’t think of her as the type to have anything in common with you all. I mean what do you do, spend all day on your computer and playing make believe with your friends?”

Sebastian felt the familiar anger rise whenever he heard Demetrius’s voice, always judging whenever he spoke to him.

“I guess some people just don’t judge others based on what they think they know about them and actually take time to get to know them.” Sebastian said back with a slightly venomous tone. 

“Guys, stop. I’m glad you and your friends invited her out, Sebby. It has to be hard moving over to a new town without any family or friends. I hope to see more of her around.” Robin said smiling at her son, then turning and scowling at her husband.

He took this opportunity to go into his room, shutting the door, and heading over to his bed. His brain started the familiar pattern he hated. He thought of her and then all the reasons why he shouldn’t talk to her, how he was just someone who lived in his mother’s basement. That she wasn’t really looking at him that way, that he was imagining it all because he was so drawn to her. He finally got his brain to settle the thoughts, letting himself imagine that it was all true, thinking of what could have happened if he just moved a little closer, just for a moment. What it would feel like to feel her lips on his, how her face would feel if he brushed his hand across her face. He fell to sleep still thinking of her and those eyes. The eyes that held the world.


	9. Radioactive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane's perspective from the day. He keeps seeing the girl he can't escape from and did he successfully push her away just when he realized maybe he did want a friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I started deciding that I was going to just name chapters after whatever song I was listening to that really gave me the vibes. I had some random Spotify playlist and Radioactive came on and I dunno, I got a Shane vibe. Maybe not the words as a whole but the darkness of it gave me the feels. I want to show a different side of Shane, the insecure side, and also the caring side. I mean, we know how much he cares about Jas and I think through that he can learn a lot about himself. 
> 
> Please let me know how you are liking it so far! I am almost too a point where I think this is going to go but I think it is going to take me some real time to get there, so I expect this to be lengthy. I will do my best to post one chapter a day, but won't hold myself to that since I will feel bad if I don't have time and I want the process to flow naturally, I don't want to force something out that I don't think flows well just to meet a quota, you know? But so far, the pace has been good and I hope to continue it!

Year 1 - Spring 5 - Shane

Shane was having a rough day. He woke up, head throbbing, reaching over for the bottle of aspirin he always had close by his bed. It wasn’t the first, and wouldn’t be the last time he woke up with the familiar head pains.

He had just enough time to shower, have a quick breakfast with Jas, and head out the door to start his shift. He punched in and went through the mornings deliveries, figuring out how to manage his day to get the product on the floor. He wasn’t feeling like standing in the freezers to load up products there so he left those pallets in the freezer room and rolled out the grocery items to stock.

He got lost in his thoughts stocking the shelves, wondering if he would be here working at Joja Mart forever. He figured he could probably head back to the city once Jas was an adult, but that seemed like a lifetime away. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye and lifted his head up to see the new girl at the end of the aisle, basket in hand, with what looked like frozen food in it. She looked like a deer caught in headlights the way she was looking at him and then in just a second noticed her expression turn to steely resolve. 

She moved towards him, walking quickly, and Shane saw the unmistakable boxes of Pepper Poppers and frozen pizzas. He hadn’t pegged her for a frozen food kind of girl and was surprised to see it. He remembered her last few encounters with him and while he wasn’t looking to make friends thought maybe he had been just a little too abrasive. 

He stood up and faced her, trying to give a small smile in the process. “Well, at least you have good taste.” he said in what he hoped was a joking tone. “Yoba, had it been so long that I actually don’t know how to talk to people anymore?” he thought to himself.

He was not ready for her cutting words and the way her eyes became so heated, like fire. She stormed off and he could hear Sam laughing in the background. Of course someone had to bear witness to her attack. He shrugged it off and went back to work, focusing instead on trying to get the food out so he could get out.

After work he headed home to change his pants, grabbing the familiar Joja hoodie he usually wore. He saw Marnie putting on her Friday night earrings when he was walking out. “Jas gonna be all set?” he asked her, already knowing the answer. 

“Yes, Penny will be here soon to watch her and Vincent. See you soon.” she answered as he headed out the door.

He walked in and looked around at the normal Friday night crowd with one exception. He saw Kate standing talking to Elliot and Leah, smiling at something he was saying. He drew his breath in and wondered if he should just take the night off, but he realized he didn’t have any beer at home and it would seem really strange if he walked in and just walked out.

“Play it cool,” he mumbled to himself, “this was your spot first.” He concluded his pep talk and walked over to the bar. 

“Hey, Emily. Can I get my beer?” Shane asked, hoping he could be safely tucked away in his corner before Kate noticed him. The thought was barely finished when he sensed her next to him. He turned to watch her gracefully grab the drinks and hand over some money.

“Hey Emily, get his next drink on me. It may make him more tolerable.” Kate said before walking away to go hang out with Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian. 

He felt the eyes on him and felt the color run to his face. He wanted to say something sharp to her but realized he had earned her sarcasm. He would let her have today given he had acted horribly towards her the last two times he had seen her. He wished she wasn’t hanging out with those three though. Sam was the type of person he hated. Overly chipper with a last word complex didn’t suit him at all. Abigail mostly kept to herself but she tried too hard to be an “individual”. Sebastian looked like he just wanted to listen to sad music and cry in a corner somewhere. He almost laughed out loud given he was literally drinking in a corner. The only two people worse would be the jock and the princess.

He tried not to keep glancing over at her while he was drinking, concentrating again on the other people around and drowning out the noise. He couldn’t help but find his gaze heading in her direction, sometimes catching at her looking at him. Why couldn’t he stop looking over? Why did he feel slightly jealous every time she was looking at Sebastian? He saw she was spending most of the time with Abigail, the two girls in conversation about Yoba only knows what. 

Time passed as it usually did and the more Shane drank, the more he resolved to try and talk to her. Maybe he could smooth things over, not that he knew why he even wanted to. He hadn’t felt a need to make conversation with anyone in this town the entire time he was here until this girl slammed into him. He saw Sebastian take off outside, probably to go smoke his cigarettes, and about 5 minutes later saw Kate stand up and looked to say goodbye to the others. This could be his moment, his time to try and catch her by herself so if she did decide to cut him down again maybe it wouldn’t be so public. Right before she left she turned around, caught his eye, and gave him a quick salute.

She headed out the door and Shane settled up his tab with Emily, trying to move quickly so he could catch up with her. Emily smiled and told him to get home safe and Shane headed out the door. When he walked out he saw Sebastian and Kate standing together, in conversation. Neither of them even looked when the door opened and he came out. He certainly wasn’t going to talk to her while she was with him. He waited on the other side, figuring she would be walking past to go home. He leaned against the wall, hands in his pocket.

He heard the door open, the sounds from inside briefly spilling out into the quiet night. He straightened up, ready to announce his presence when she walked by, figuring Sebastian was just heading back in. It was still a bit early for him to be heading home; he spent enough time in there to know when people usually came and went on a Friday night.

Instead of Kate walking down the path, he heard the door open again, and then heard their voices getting closer. He inched around to the back side, and sure enough Kate and Sebastian were walking together towards her place. He almost thought of following them, to see exactly what was going on, but he hadn’t drank enough to think that was a solid idea. He decided just to head home early since going back in wasn’t an option, He could only imagine the town gossip that would happen since everyone watched everyone in this place.

He kicked some rocks on the way home, trying not to let his mind wander to what could be happening. “Why the fuck would I even care?” he asked himself before realizing he said it out loud. He decided to pick up Jas from Vincent’s house since it was on the way and he was heading home anyway. 

Penny opened the door, surprised to see him. “Oh, hey Shane! I didn’t expect anyone to be back so early.” she told him.

“Yeah, I wasn’t really into hanging out there tonight. Jas ready to go?” he asked her.

Penny went and got Jas, and her face lit up when she saw Shane. He took her by the hand and together they started the walk back home.

“Vincent really made me mad tonight. He wouldn’t even listen to me when I tried to talk to him and just ignored me the whole time. It’s like he doesn’t even want to be my friend.” the young girl said, her eyes filling up with tears.

“Boys can be mean sometimes, but it doesn’t mean they don’t want to be friends. Maybe he just doesn’t know how to talk to you. Did you let him know that you wanted to be friends? Did you tell him that he hurt your feelings?” Shane asked her gently.

“Well, no. I just tried to talk to him, but he just sat in front of the TV. I tried to have him play a game with me but he told me he didn’t have time.” she said, starting to cry.

They reached the ranch and Shane opened the door. “Well, my girl, I bet he very much wants to be your friend. Go get ready for bed and I will be in soon.” he told her and she ran off into her bedroom. Shane grabbed a water bottle for Jas to put by her bed, giving her a few moments to change.

“Uncle Shane, how do you know that Vincent wants to be friends with me?” Jas asked while Shane tucked her in. “He’s so mean to me all the time and usually people aren’t mean to other people they want to be friends with.”

“Because Jas, boys are silly. That doesn’t make it right and it doesn’t mean that he should just get off the hook for being mean, but sometimes people don’t know that what they say or do can hurt other people's feelings.” Shane explained.

“Thanks, Uncle Shane. I’ll try again tomorrow. Don’t give up, right?” she said while turning, each word getting softer as she fell into slumber.

Shane left the room quietly, leaving a soft light on for her. He thought about their conversation and how much of it applied to him as well. He flopped onto his own bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering if he messed things up too badly already, just like he always does. He should buy a hoodie with the radioactive warning on it so it was on display. The loathing creeped in, the voices in his head telling him he was poison. 

He thought of Jas when it started to get too loud. How her face lit up, their conversation, so innocent, but so telling. “Don’t give up. I can be better. I will try again tomorrow.” he told himself before falling asleep. He thought of her saluting him before leaving, almost like an invitation.


	10. Dog Days Are Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate gets a surprise visit and a new roomate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes at the end for once

Year 1 - Spring 6

Kate woke up with a slight headache. It was unsurprising since she hadn’t drank in a while and this was to be expected. She got out of bed, headed over to her small bathroom, brushed her teeth, threw water on her face, and took a couple of Tylenols. 

“Well, gotta get to it.” she said to no one. She wanted to get some progress gathering wood. She knew it would be a fair bit and she already had a piling tied together from her previous days working on the farm.

The sun was shining down and she got lost in the chopping of the wood. She started with the smaller pieces and before long her mind was wandering to the last night's events. She felt a blush come to her cheeks when she thought about flirting with Sebastian. That was really unlike her. It had been a long while since she had flirted or even thought about flirting with someone. Her last relationship had impacted her greatly and ended poorly. She was thankful she hadn’t gotten so intoxicated that she ended up doing something she regretted later. Overall she had a really great night and really enjoyed meeting Abi and Sebastian. 

Then there was Shane. She wasn’t sure why she saluted him before leaving but she felt like she had to acknowledge him and show him that he wasn’t going to bully her every time he saw her around town. She had dealt with that enough in her past and had promised herself that she would never allow anyone to make her feel less than again.

She took a break, carefully tying up her wood in bundles of 100. She had 300 already ready to go and she had to think about how she would get that over to Robin’s. She threw a pizza in the microwave and decided to eat lunch outside on her porch. It was such a nice day out and she didn’t want to spend it inside. Once she was done she figured she would take a walk down to the south end of her property to look at the lake at the end. She never thought she would own a farm, nevermind land with her own lake. She thought about checking out the ocean dock later, maybe even learn how to fish. She laughed at herself, wishing her Grandpa could see her now. He spent almost every summer trying to teach her how to fish but she never wanted to get near the worm.

She headed back in the house, cleaning up her plate from lunch, and thought about what she should do for the night. She didn’t want to head back to the bar, one night was enough, and if she was honest with herself, she felt pretty exhausted from the day’s work. She opened her door and was surprised to see Shane there, hand raised as if he was about to knock.

“Hi?” she questioned, staring at him confused.

“Oh, hey, I was just walking by my house and saw this dog running around and sitting at the end of your property. I wasn’t sure if he was yours and you lost him?” Shane explained sheepishly, looking down to avoid eye contact.  
Kate looked around him and saw a scruffy looking dog, wagging his tail. 

“No, I don’t have a dog.” she answered honestly. She went around him to pet the dog and the dog ran right up to her, sitting at her feet. 

“Well, I’ve never seen him around, and you can’t help but know everyone’s business here. It comes with the town.” Shane said. “He always kept running back here so I thought he may be yours.” he turned around to really look at her and she was bent over giving the dog belly rubs. It was hard not to smile at the scene.

Kate was lost in the dog, so much that she forgot she had a weird war going on with Shane and neither of them had said anything snarky to each other for the entire exchange. The pup was rolling over in the dirt, looking for pets, and licking her hand.

“He really seems to like you. Would you want to keep him here since we aren’t sure who he belongs to anyways? I can always be on the lookout for any lost dog posters…” Shane began before Kate cut him off.

“Yes, I can keep him! Of course!” she said excitedly. Kate always wanted a dog as they had always been her favorite animal. She was never able to have one and she was not about to let this opportunity pass. She didn’t realize how lonely she was on the farm, most of her days and nights spent by herself.

“Okay, well then great. See you later, I guess.” Shane said, walking back down towards his house.

“Shane, wait!” Kate called out before she even knew what she was doing. She saw him turn around, looking at her. When he wasn’t being an asshole he really was a good looking guy. She wondered what he would look like if he actually smiled once in a while. He walked back over to her waiting for her to speak again. “I really appreciate you bringing him here. It’s a lot quieter here than I am used to.” 

“It’s no problem. Yeah, I remember it took me some time to get used to it too, when I first showed up. You get used to the sounds of the city. I don’t think I slept well for at least three months when I moved here.” he said, remembering how hard the transition was. “I’m glad this worked out. We have a lot of animals, and I don’t know how this boy would have done being surrounded by them all. Plus, you get the company, so that’s an added bonus.”

“Hey, Shane?” Kate spoke quietly. “I don’t know how we got off to the start we did, and maybe we are just those personalities that don’t mix, though I don’t know if we really ever gave it a shot. I just don’t want to spar with you every time I see you. I mean sometimes is great and all, you make a great opponent, but maybe we can at least try to be acquaintances?” 

Shane picked up on how sad she sounded and for a moment felt horrible for being such a dick. “Look, sorry if I came across as rude when we first met. It takes me some time to warm up to strangers.” 

Kate smiled at him, glad that her olive branch was accepted. “And I am sorry for all of my actions, including slamming into you and all comments made thereafter.”

Shane laughed, surprised by the sound of it. “So, acquaintances. I’m glad you aren’t sorry you bought me a beer. That was the best part of all of it. If you being mad involves you buying beer then I may have to go back to telling you I am too busy to talk to you. Are you going to the Saloon tonight? Is it too late for me to say something rude?”

“Ah, no I am afraid I am staying in. No one told me when I moved here that chopping wood was actually really tiring. So, no need to be rude tonight, we can carry on our truce.” She wondered if he was asking her to go but thought that couldn’t have been what he meant. They were clearly just bantering.

Shane felt some disappointment at knowing that she was staying in and he didn’t have much reason to hang around. “Yeah physical labor. Who knew city life would make us so soft? You know, occasionally Joja Mart gives me a day off. It’s crazy, I know. If you wanted, I could always stop over to give you a hand. I don’t know much about plants, but if you were interested in getting some farm animals I may be able to help you plan out some spots.” he offered. 

“Shane, are you being… neighborly? We agreed on acquaintances. We shouldn’t get too ahead of ourselves here.” Kate teased, bending over to pet the dog again.

“That’s true. I am thinking of it as more of a business venture, to be honest. Lure you in by offering to help then next thing you know, you’ll be buying all your animals from us.” he said, with a smile on his face. She was really witty, almost charming.

“I’m pretty sure it’s the only place I can buy animals, so I’ll let you know you don’t even have to try very hard to get me through the door.” she stood up, offering her hand to him. “To being acquaintances; I’d offer you a beer or something to toast but I am fresh out.” she felt his hand on hers, an immediate warmth spreading up her arm. It wasn’t the electricity as she felt with Sebastian, but rather a warm, enveloping feeling.

“Raincheck on the beer, but the next one is on me. Take care, Kate. See you around.” Shane said, walking away.

She watched him leave until she couldn’t see him anymore then looked at the dog. “We have to find you a water bowl, and I should check Pierre’s to see if there is any dog food. If not, we can share something tonight.” 

She stopped into Pierre’s shop right before he closed, able to secure a dog bowl and a few cans of dog food. Abigail saw her buying her supplies and ran over to her.

“Hey you! You have a dog?” she asked, looking at the pet supplies.

“Apparently now I do. Shane brought him to my house; he found him running around and thought he may be mine. So I am keeping him for a bit to see if I can find his owners.” Kate answered.

“I’m surprised he even did that, he doesn’t bother with anyone. I talked to Sebastian today. He asked me to make sure you are coming to hang with us next Friday. He figured I would probably see you next out of the group with my dad running the only store around other than Joja.” 

“I am sure I will! I had a really great time with you all.” Kate said honestly, blushing a little.

Abigail gave her a knowing smile. “Well, I better get back to my game. I just came out because I heard you and wanted to say hi. I may stop over at some point to say hi to the dog! We don’t have many dogs around here, other than Alex’s.”

“Sounds like a plan! You know where I’ll be!” Kate said, picking up her supplies and heading out. Sebastian wanted her to come out Friday, Shane was actually being decent, she got a dog. What a strange day it ended up being. 

She ended her night with her and her new dog which she named Spencer curled up in bed. Kate read a book while Spencer just slept. She felt peaceful and happy, the first time she could say that in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Marnie is the one who gives the Farmer her pet, but I really wanted to make that olive branch happen. I can't have Shane be a total ass the whole time, I mean we are already almost in double digits in chapters and they haven't had one nice exchange. Wait this is the double digit chapter. At this rate there wasn't going to be a plausible love triangle. It isn't all over, there will be steps back, but man, we gotta get this train rolling. Shane is dealing with a lot, and at the end of the day, while he can have good days, he will also have bad days.
> 
> I just want to get into the drama. I may start skipping some days faster now since we are getting established routines by this point and I don't want to write 35 chapters on farm clearing, so I expect the next chapter will be Day 8, heading to Robin's for expansion time. I know it's early, but I need a kitchen, guys, I just need a kitchen.


	11. Someone's Great

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monday morning and Kate is trying to get a kitchen. Sebby comes to pick up wood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much to run with for notes for today. Things are moving. There will be a kitchen. Sorry for the minor juvenile humor but that is absolutely something I would laugh at in real life. I love me a good innuendo and couldn't pass up the whole wood thing. I mean, it writes itself, really. 
> 
> I hope you all are still liking this, or if you are just discovering it, I hope you didn't feel you wasted your time!

Year 1 - Spring 8

Kate headed to the north of her farm, where Sebastian had told her where the path was. She easily found it and followed it through to the other side, where she came out into the mountains. She saw the home right below her and she went down the stairs.

She knocked quietly, not sure of what the etiquette was when the store was also the home. She heard a “Come in!” from inside and opened the door. She breathed in the smell of wood, a smell she had gotten quite used to after the last week. She saw Robin’s smiling face, beckoning her over.

“Good morning, Kate! Is this a visit or are you looking for some help with something?” Robin inquired. 

“I’m actually here to see if I would be able to hire to expand on my house. It’s very quaint, and I like quaint, but I also like kitchens and non-processed hot food.” she told her. 

Robin laughed knowingly. “I expected this visit when Lewis first brought me inside the home. We wanted to make sure that it would structurally be okay for anyone to actually live in. I don’t know how your Grandpa did it.”

“I remember him fishing a lot and a lot of campfires on the farm. I wish I had his skill set, but that isn’t something I have picked up on yet.” Kate said honestly.

“You should speak with Willy if you haven’t yet. He runs the bait shop on the shore and is a master fisherman. I am sure he would love to give you some lessons. He is always going on about how no one enjoys the art of fishing anymore; you’d probably make his year.” Robin offered.

“I will! I would like to learn, but I still want a kitchen. I’m not ready to go full nature just yet.” Kate laughed.

“Ok, so it’ll be $10,000 and 450 pieces of wood. I already drew up the plans a few days ago. I really was expecting this visit. Wanna take a look and see if you agree with my vision?” Robin pulled a giant book from below the counter and flipped open to a page. “See, this is where I think the kitchen should go and this could expand here to give you some additional room…”

Thirty minutes later the plans were set, and Robin also showed her some of the other things she could do for the farm when she was looking to expand. Kate was amazed at how much Robin could do. “So, Robin, I have the wood, but I wasn’t sure how to get it all here. I’m afraid I don’t have a vehicle. There wasn’t much need for one in the city with all the public transportation.”

“That’s okay, I’ll have Sebby bring the truck down to your place to pick up the wood. This way I can get it prepped. I should be able to start tomorrow.” Robin shook Kate’s hand. “It is good doing business with you! Did you want me to have Sebby give you a ride back to your farm?”

“No, it’s okay! I’d like to take a look around the mountains, if that’s okay. I haven’t been up here for a while.” Kate said. 

“Sure thing! I will send him over in about an hour and a half. See you tomorrow!” Robin said and came around the counter to walk Kate out. 

Kate left and went walking towards the mountain lake. It was so pretty and peaceful in the area she almost lost track of time and she had to make sure to give herself enough time to get back to meet Sebastian. She started to head back toward the path and saw a white haired man on the ledge above looking at her. “A stranger? Hello, don’t mind me. I just live out here alone.” he said to her. Kate noticed the tent and the fire going and gave him a wave.

“Hello, I’m Kate. I took over Valley Farm just down around the mountain.” She wasn’t sure what to make of the man but she didn’t get a danger vibe from him. “I hope to see you around.” she said heading back towards the path. The man didn’t offer his name in return, so she just carried on.

She made it back in time, heading the bend when she heard a truck pulling in. Sebastian turned off the truck, opened the door, and hopped out.

“Hey, Farm Girl. I’m here for your wood.” Sebastian greeted. Kate had to use all her power to not laugh like an 11 year old kid. She kept it down and headed over to the pile.

“Thanks for coming down to pick it up. It’s right over here.” she said grabbing one of the tied bundles. Sebastian headed over to where Kate was, grabbing two of the bundles.

“I told you that you’d come to see my mom first.” he teased, giving her a smirk. 

Kate smiled back at him. “Only because your mom could give me a kitchen. The kitchen edged you out, but only by a little. If living wasn’t needed, you would have had zero competition.”

“Good to know.” he answered. Kate wasn’t too sure, but it almost looked like he was blushing a little. They finished up the wood loading and she offered him a drink before he left. He accepted and together they headed for the farmhouse.

“Don’t mind the clutter. All my belongings came in and some things are still in boxes, other things are just laying around. It’s pretty small.” she said apologetically, opening the door. 

Sebastian looked surprised when he entered. She wasn’t kidding, it really was small. “You’re forgiven for seeing my mom first. I mean, this place is cool and very rustic, but it really doesn’t give you a lot of options for decorating, does it.”

Kate handed him a glass of water. “No, not really. It’s doable but not comfortable. I’d like a little comfort.” She saw his eyes scanning the room and stopping on her bookcase.

“You read, Kate?” he asked, heading over to the bookshelf.

“Ummmm, yes. I learned when I was 5. Do you read, Sebastian?” Kate mocked.

“I was up until like 3 AM reading last night. I couldn’t put it down. Sorry, my question may have come out wrong. There isn’t anyone else in this town other than Penny who seems to enjoy books. Holy shit! Is that a leather bound set of The Lord of the Rings trilogy? And you have the Red Rising series?” Sebastian said excitedly, going over all the books.

“Hahaha, yeah, and The Hobbit is there. Red Rising is also amazing; such a good sci-fi read. I really got invested in that series.” Kate answered, also getting excited. She loved talking about books and authors. “I’m currently finishing up Cave Saga X…”

“Shut up!” Sebastian exclaimed. “That is my favorite series! It’s what I was up reading last night!”

They heard a scratching at the door and Sebastian looked at it surprised. Kate got up and opened the door, Spencer bounding in and jumping on Sebastian.

“Oh, Spencer, no! Sorry, I just got him a couple days ago and we haven’t learned basic manners yet.” Kate said, trying to get Spencer’s attention away from Sebastian.

“Oh, it’s fine. I love dogs, not as much as frogs, but dogs are a close second.” he said.

Kate and Sebastian spent the next hour talking about books with Sebastian petting Spencer until he went to go lay down. His phone chimed and he looked down at it, messaged someone, and then stood up.

“That was my mom. She thought I may have gotten lost on the way back.” He was sorry to have to go after finding out he had so many things in common with the new girl.

“Oh, I didn’t even think of the time. I’m sorry for keeping you! You probably have things to do today too and I just kept you hostage.” Kate replied, standing up and heading to the bookcase. She took out Red Rising and handed it to Sebastian. “When you have some time, give this a read. I would love to have someone to talk to about this one.”

He gladly accepted the book and promised to return it when he was done. “Oh, the farm looks really good. You can tell you’ve put in some serious work.” he complemented. “But don’t work so much that you can’t come out of Friday. Can I see your phone?” Kate handed it over, unsure why he was asking for it. He took hers and passed over his. “Number exchange, you know, in case you ever need more wood transported or just want to talk books.” He took a little longer with hers than she did putting in her number.

“You will be the first person to know if I have wood.” she said, and then unable to keep it locked up this time, laughed at her own comment. “Sorry, I kept it in the first time, I couldn’t do it now.”

Sebastian laughed, taking his phone back. “You’re such a dork.” He said, petting Spencer one more time and then heading out the door. “See you around, Farm Girl.”

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful for Kate. She decided to curl up reading Cave Saga X so she would have more to talk about when she next talked to Sebastian. She heard her phone ping and picked it up.

_Seb - It was nice hanging out today. I’m going to finish Cave Sage so I can give Red Rising a go._

_Kate - It was nice. Thanks for keeping me company and for the conversation. I’m glad I learned how to read just so this moment could happen._

_Seb - Haha, you aren’t going to let that go, are you? Have a good night, Kate._

_Kate - You too, Sebastian._

Kate fell asleep, Cave Saga in hand, Spencer at her feet, and thoughts of Sebastian running through her mind.


	12. Little Earthquakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I missed yesterday! I was in a quaranfunk and just having a really off day. Today has been better and I wanted to get back to writing so here it is. I think we got this train rolling with this chapter and it's all going to start speeding up from here. I made this chapter quite a bit longer; I almost split it into two, but I skipped a day, so here is a really long one.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and I hope you are enjoying the ride! Buckle up, it's gonna get wild.

Year 1 - Spring 12

Kate wiped the sweat from her brow, overlooking her crops, picking what she could and getting them ready for sale. She was proud of her little vegetables and almost hated to part with them. She set a few aside for herself, putting the others in the wheelbarrow and wheeling over to the side of the house.

She went inside, still surprised by how much bigger the home had become since Robin had finished. She not only added the coveted kitchen, but also added in some extra space. She had been able to put more of her belongings, making the house feel more like home.

It was around 2 PM and she picked up her phone. She noticed she had a couple of missed calls from her mom and a text message from Sebastian. 

_Seb - “Didn’t work too hard this week, right?”_

_Kate - See you in a couple hours. Be careful or I may take Sam’s place at the pool table._

She called her mom, updated her on the house expansion, the vegetables she had been growing, and just general life. She was really proud of herself and everything that she had accomplished in the last two weeks. She promised her mom she would call her over the weekend and jumped in her shower.

The hot water felt great, loosening up her muscles, tense from all the work she had been doing on the farm. It was so different from her life to the city in every way. Physically, mentally, emotionally, all of it just so different. She was finding her routine, her balance. She had even met with Willy, who gave her a couple of fishing lessons. She hadn’t caught anything yet, but she would keep at it until she did.

She finished getting ready and had just come around the corner to the bar when she saw Shane. He held open the door for her and beckoned her in.

“This is what acquaintances do, right?” he asked her as she walked by him.

Kate turned around and smiled at him. “Yes. I see you’ve been studying.” 

Shane walked over to the bar while Kate walked over to Sam and Abigail. “Hey, guys!” she greeted them. Abigail patted the seat next to her while Sam was picking out his pool stick for the night. 

Sam turned around and walked towards the girls with the pool stick. He handed it to Abigail, who took it and gave it back, then handed it to Kate. She took it and confused, handed it back to Sam just as Abigail had done. “I think this is the one. And now that you both have touched it, infusing it with your energy, it is sure to beat Sebastian tonight!” Abigail rolled her eyes, laughing.

“I don’t know if I would have much faith in my luck, but I appreciate that you thought I could be that turning balance.” Kate said.

“Well, I don’t know, I mean you ended up here, with us, and that’s pretty lucky, right? Sam said, winking at her.

“I can’t argue that logic.” Kate agreed. “I’m going to head to the bar, you guys need anything?” Neither of them did, so Kate put down her jacket next to Abigail and walked over, saying hi to Gus and Emily. “I’ll take a beer please, when you have a moment.”

Emily passed her the beer and declined to take her money for it. “Already paid for. Looks like you charmed the dragon in town.” she said motioning to Shane. Kate took the beer, thanking Emily, and headed over to Shane.

“Hey, neighbor, thanks for the drink.” Kate said, leaning up against the fireplace.

“Well, I told you the next one would be on me.” he replied, holding his own beer up. “To acquaintances.” They clinked glasses, each taking a sip, and then laughed. Shane noticed quite a few of the patrons had turned in their general direction, most trying to not be obvious, but some, like his Aunt, Abigail, and Sam, were just going for obvious. He tried not to let it bother him and just focus on the girl next to him.

The door opened and Sebastian walked in. He saw Kate right away and stopped at the door. He had a puzzled expression but so did pretty much everyone in the bar. Kate looked over and waved at him. He waved back, looked down, and headed over to the pool table.

“So, any big plans for the weekend?” Kate asked Shane, taking another sip of her beer.

“Well, the Egg Festival is tomorrow. We’ve been working pretty hard at the ranch for it for the last month since we supplied the eggs for the celebration.” he answered.

“Oh yeah, I received a letter from Lewis about it today actually! I get so caught up in the day to day on the farm that I almost forget what day it is.” she told him.

“Yeah, I get that. It can feel like everyday's the same. Stocking those horrible shelves, coming here, tossing and turning during the night…” Shane said, looking off into the distance. 

“Do you come here often?” Kate asked, eyebrows raised playfully. She wanted to do something to lighten the mood; she noticed a subtle change, almost a sadness when he had said those words.

He turned his focus back on her, smiling at her expression. “Only when I think some poor woman might find me intolerable and buy me drinks. I’m doing a pretty shitty job at that right now. Don’t you have work to do somewhere?”

“Lucky enough for everyone, I’m done for the day. You may have to find someone else to be rude to, Shane. I think you may be warming up to me a little and wouldn’t be able to be rude enough for a drink tonight.” she teased back.

“I should try, but instead I will send you off to go see your friends. They haven’t stopped staring since you came over.” Shane had noticed Sebastian especially could not seem to concentrate on anything but them since he came in.

“Well, it’s a small bar, I may run into you later.” Kate said straightening herself up off the fireplace to walk over to the trio. “Thanks again, for the beer Shane.”

Kate headed over to the group, beer in hand. Sam turned around and jumped at the girl, almost making her spill her beer. “I was right! It worked! I am actually beating Sebastian!” She, for the second time this evening, raised her eyebrows at the dark haired boy. 

“You having an off night, Sebastian?” Kate asked him. She knew from Abigail, and Sam, that Sebastian never lost, or never even came close to losing.

“Nah, just warming up. I have to let him get some confidence up somehow.” Sebastian said. Kate thought his tone seemed a little off.

“Can I get you a beer or something?” Kate offered, wanting to do something.

“Nah, it’s cool. I’ll grab something in a minute.” He went back to his game, sinking his next shot. 

Kate sat next to Abigail, who turned her body towards her completely. “So, spent a bit talking to Shane. Last we saw last week, you couldn’t look at him without daggers. Dish it.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. He brought Spencer over, we buried the proverbial hatchet, and are now acquaintances.” Kate explained. 

“No, no, no. Shane doesn’t have acquaintances. Shane has himself, and Jas, probably Marnie, but the jury is still out on that. He looked like he actually smiled. I’ve never seen him smile in the entire time he’s lived here.” Abigail went on. “Like really, not one smile. So this is news.”

“It’s a boring newsday then, because there is nothing to report. I promise. If anything newsworthy happens, you will be the first to have the scoop.” Kate promised.

“Does that go for all news, or just Shane news. I really want it to be all news.” her new friend asked. 

“All news. I expect you will be really disappointed though. The only boy who gets excited to see me coming is Spencer, and he doesn’t count.” Kate laughed.

Abigail made a face at her and replied, “I wouldn’t be too sure about that one but okay. Pinky swear about the news, though.”

The girls linked pinkies together and Sam looked over at that moment. “What are you guys doing now?”

“Only promising our undying devotion to each other. Go back to losing.” Abigail retorted.

The bar was in full swing by this point, full of most of the residences. It was funny to Kate how even here, in this sleepy town, Friday nights were still the time to go out to bars and be social. She saw Sebastian sink the last ball to win the game and put down his pool cue. “Smoke break.” he said to Sam, then looked over at Kate. “Wanna come with? I started Red Rising…”

“Yes!” Kate cut him off, jumping up. She couldn’t wait to hear what he thought about it and they walked out. Kate realized once she got outside that she had forgotten her jacket and though it was spring, nights were still pretty chilly. 

Sebastian noticed her little shiver and took off his jacket putting it around her shoulders. “Here, you can’t catch a cold.” 

All of a sudden she was enveloped by his smell. It was woodsy and smokey, very comforting. “I’m fine, I don’t want you to get cold…” she started but he cut her off.

“I’ll be okay. Keep it for now.” 

They started talking about the book, Sebastian finishing his cigarette, but the two of them just staying out there together, lost in conversation. He was still pretty early in but there was a lot to talk about and neither was in any rush to get back in. 

The wind picked up a bit and some of Kate’s hair had gotten loose from her barrette. Without thinking Sebastian reached out and tucked it behind her ear. Kate stared at him, surprised by the gesture. “Thanks.” she said softly, her cheeks warming. Just then the door opened and Sam came out, looking for them.

“So, last I knew smoke breaks don’t last thirty minutes, Seb. I’ve racked already.” Sam interrupted.

“Yeah, okay. I know how much you need me to kick your ass at least 3 times on Friday nights.” Sebastian heading back towards the Saloon. Kate followed the boys, her heart in her throat. There was something there, but she just couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly. 

Once she was inside, she put Sebastian’s jacket on the couch with hers, Abigail giving her a look. “Book talk?” she questioned.

“Yeah, I lent him a book I have. It’s a really good book if you want to read it next.” 

“Mhmmmmm.” Abigail teased. Kate playfully hit her in the arm and went to get another beer. 

Emily passed her another beer and before Kate could turn around to head back she heard a throat clearing on the side of her. Shane was standing there, getting another beer. He looked slightly annoyed and wouldn’t look at her.

“So, what’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?” Kate said, low voiced. She was hoping for a smile but all she got was a grunt.

“Doing what everyone does in this shit town. Trying to forget we’re in this shit town.” he said, a tinge of anger in his voice. Kate wasn’t sure what was going on with him, or why he had the sudden switch of moods.

“Shane…” she started but he cut her off.

“Look, I like being alone. So why don’t you go hang out with them and just leave me to it.”

Kate took her beer and walked over to Abigail. Her mood had changed since the last encounter with Shane. As much as she couldn’t explain what was going on with her and Sebastian, she definitely couldn’t explain what was going on between her and Shane. He was fine when the night started and now it was like they had made no progress at all.

The boys continued to play pool, Abigail and Kate made some small talk, but she kept looking over at Shane. At one point, Sebastian came over and sat next to her while Sam got the pool table ready for another round.

“Did you want to play next?” he asked her. “You can choose your opponent if you’re too scared to face me.”

Kate smiled at him, hoping it was coming across as genuine, “Oh, I don’t think you are ready for me yet. I’m good to sit this one out.” 

Sebastian grinned at her, got up, and patted her on the head. “Well, I’ll be happy to go one on one with you whenever you want. I won’t go easy on you though.”

Kate noticed Shane finishing his beer, throwing money on the counter, and heading out. She really wanted to talk to him before he left, so she got up, looking at Abigail. “Hey, I’ll be back.” she said, walking quickly to catch up to Shane.

Shane had already started heading towards the south when Kate came running out. “You again? How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone?” 

“What is the matter with you?” she asked him, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

“What’s the matter with me? What’s the matter with you?” he answered back angrily. “Why are you still bothering me?” he said, continuing to walk away, slightly faster.

“Shane! Did I do something? Did I say something? If so, I’m sorry.” The tears were threatening now, so close to falling over. She caught up to him, reaching out to grab his arm so he would stop.

He stopped dead in his tracks when she held his arm. He slowly turned around, facing her. “You really are persistent. Why? Why do you care? Why would you bother trying to talk to me?”

“Because, Shane, we’re friends. Or at least trying to be friends. Didn’t we agree on that? If I do something wrong that upsets you, let me know. If you are upset about something, talk to me about it. That’s what friends do.” The first one came down, like rain, sliding down her cheek.

“I thought we agreed on acquaintances.” he said softly, his anger melting at the sight of the girl in front of him.

The second one and third one came then, flowing just as quickly as the first once they were released. Shane just watched her trying to compose herself and he found he couldn’t help it, reaching out to wipe them from her face.

“I’m sorry, Kate. I don’t know why I get like this, but I do. I didn’t mean to drag you into it, into me. This is why I prefer to be alone, so no one else gets caught up in my anger. It wasn’t you.” She put her hand over his, which was still cupping her face. He hated the fact he had made her cry, made her upset. He was just so angry seeing her with him, wearing his jacket. They heard noises then, a bit off, that sounded like Abigail and Sam.

“I’m going to head home. You going to be okay?” he asked her gently. He saw her nod that she would. “You gonna head home too, or catch up with them”?

“I should head back. I left my jacket there.” she said softly. 

“I’m really sorry, Kate. I hope you can forgive me. Or maybe you’ll realize that I really am the asshole you thought I was when we first met.”  
Never one to miss an opportunity for a comment, Kate looked at him, releasing his hand from her face. “This isn’t going to get me to buy you a beer. I do forgive you though.” She turned around then and left him watching her head back towards the bar.

Kate saw Sebastain, Sam, and Abigail standing outside the bar, looking around. “Hey guys! Sorry for just running out.” Abigail ran up to her first, looking at her.

“Have you been crying? Are you okay?” Abigail asked. As soon as she said “crying” both Sebastian and Sam headed over too.

“No, no, it’s just my allergies.” Kate said, trying to cover her face. “Spring gets me every time.” 

Sebastian handed her jacket to her. “Here, put this on. We were heading out so I can walk you home if you want.”

They all said their goodbyes and headed in their directions. Sebastian and Kate walked silently together, heaviness hanging in the air. “You want to talk about it?” he asked her.

“My allergies? No, it happens. I even have medicine for them, so I’ll be fine.” she offered. They reached the farmhouse and he walked her to the door. 

“I wanted to make sure you didn’t trip over any rocks this time. They’re dangerous, you know.” he told her when they reached the door. 

Kate smiled at him, thankful for the joke. “It’s true, though I have my knight in shining armor to catch me if I do.”

“I would catch you, you know.” he told her, voice slightly deeper. He brushed her hair off her face, leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek. “Goodnight, Farm Girl.”

Kate let herself in, Spencer running to meet her. She sat on the floor with him, curled up in her lap. Eventually she got up, got into her pjs, and headed to bed. Two wildly different emotional experiences in one night had exhausted her and she couldn’t stop playing the moments in her head. She reached for her phone, staring at the comforting light.

_Kate - You make it home okay?_

_Seb - Sure did. You take your allergy meds?_

_Kate - Of course. Feeling better already. Thanks for walking me home._

_Seb - What kind of knight wouldn’t?_  
_Kate - I hope one day I can return the favor._

_Seb - Who says you haven’t?_

Kate stared at those words for a while before saying goodnight and calling Spencer onto the bed with her. “Tomorrow should be interesting.” she thought to herself before going to sleep unsure of which boy would cross into her dreams that night.


	13. 6 Underground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane's sad perspective of bar night gone wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes at the end

Year 1 - Spring 12 - Shane

Shane walked back to his ranch after watching Kate run to catch up with the group she was with. He felt like shit; he couldn’t believe he made her cry. “I always find ways to fuck things up.” he said to himself, opening the door. He texted Marnie when he came in to pick up Jas since he just couldn’t face anyone else tonight, least of all her.

Everything was going so well. He didn’t hate everything at work today, which was a first for him. He was looking forward to heading to the saloon later, figuring he may bump into Kate. He was hoping he would be able to talk to her a little. He knew people would talk but he didn’t care. When he got to the door and saw her walking towards him, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey Gus, hey Emily.” he greeted as he approached. Emily brought him his beer. “Hey, Emily,” Shane began, lowering his voice a bit so others couldn’t hear, “Can you put a beer for Kate on my tab too?”

Emily’s eyes widened then she smiled. “Of course! Was she being intolerable?” she joked to him.

He chuckled at her, nodding his head. “That one is a firecracker. Can’t even go near her without her ripping my head off.” He took his familiar spot but found his gaze more headed in the pool table direction then scanning as he usually did.

Kate made her way over to the bar, got her beer, exchanged some words with Emily, and then wandered over to him. She was so easy to converse with and so easy to look at. He noticed Sebastian come in and saw her wave at him. As much as he would have loved to keep her with him for the night, he knew she wasn’t here for him. She went off to hang with them and he went back to his normal Friday activity.

He wasn’t unaware of Sebastian’s glares at him. Abigail and Sam also looked, but Sebastian was shooting daggers. He wasn’t sure why, Sebastian never showed interest in anything. Things seemed to go to normal with the pool playing, the drinking, some people dancing. Different Friday but it was almost as if you could know minute by minute what would happen. It was always the same.

The more he drank the more he was finding it harder to not pay attention to her. She was just sitting with Abigail, unaware of the glances she was receiving not just from him. He was also noticing Sebastian looking at her when he wasn’t actively shooting. He was barely taking time for his own shots, his focus seeming to be on the two girls. “Well, isn’t he dating Abigail anyways?” Shane thought, getting his fourth beer that night. “Emily,” he called her over to him. “Sebastian and Abigail - they are a thing, right?”

“Oh, no. I mean everyone usually thinks that but no. Strange question coming from you.” she stated.

“What, why? I was just curious.” Shane stammered, taking another drink of his beer.

“Yeah, but you’ve been here long enough and you don’t usually care about what anyone else or who anyone else is doing in this town. Are you looking to talk to Abigail? Making sure you aren’t stepping on anyone’s toes?” Emily questioned him.

“God, no. Are you fucking kidding me?” Shane almost spit out his beer at the thought.

“Ohhhh, wait. It isn’t Abigail at all. It’s the new girl. Shane! You got your eyes on her, don’t you?” Emily smiled at him, leaning over the counter.

“No.” Shane said a little too quickly. “I was just wondering because they were always together.”

Emily leaned over a little farther towards him. “Mhmmm. And yet, you bought her a drink. And I saw you laugh when you were talking to her. And you have kept looking over there all night.”

“Stop it, Emily. Don’t make me regret asking you a simple question.” Shane growled.

“Was it simple, though? Was it?” she teased. “I think it’s cute. She’s pretty cute.”

Just then he noticed Sebastian heading outside with Kate. He backed away from the bar, ending the conversation and keeping himself there even though he wanted to go outside after her. “She wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye, right?” he wondered. He was starting to feel fuzzy, alcohol taking over as it usually did around this time. Gus passed him another beer while he watched the clock.

He saw Sam go out about 20 minutes later, probably also wondering where they went, and then saw them all come in together, Kate wearing Sebastian’s jacket. The sight of it just made him see red. It was like Sebastian was claiming her as his. Kate came over to the bar and Shane had to go next to her. He wanted to know what was going on with them. “Why do I even care?” he angrily thought. 

He ended up telling her to leave him alone when she tried to banter with him. He didn’t want to talk to her, didn’t want to look at her. What was the point of it? Why would she even want to talk to him, or him to her for that matter? She walked away after he snapped at her, sitting down next to Abigail. Sebastian came over and talked to her, patting her on the head before he walked away. 

That was it, he couldn’t be in here anymore. He was going to lose his mind, maybe start a fight, but in any case he knew he just had to get the fuck out of there. He paid his tab with Emily and headed out.

He didn’t get far before he heard her voice, calling to him. He kept walking, but then felt her grab his arm. He felt his body come alive, but it wasn’t enough to keep the voices in his head at bay, the ones that told him that she could never actually be interested. She deserves someone better as a friend, or an acquaintance, or definitely anything more than those things. He just let the voice out not bothering to try and stop it.

He looked at her after the words and saw the tear fall. Still holding onto his arm, not letting him go no matter what he said. The voices became whispers, finally falling silent as he wiped her tears. She held his hand to her face. This gentle girl, softly crying because of his words, his actions. He found himself apologizing, and actually meaning it. 

He heard her friends come out and heard their voices, clearly looking for her. He didn’t want to be around when they found her, afraid the alcohol would take control again if he saw Sebastian. She composed herself, they said their goodnights, and she headed to them and he headed home.

When he got in the door he headed back to his room, flopping on his bed. His phone chirped and he saw the message back from Marnie.

_Marnie - You okay? You left in a hurry. Then Kate left without her jacket and then the pool area cleared out. Anything going on?”_

_Shane - Yeah, fine._

_Marnie - So, what’s going on with you and the farmer? It looks like something maybe happening?_

_Shane - Nothing. She was with her friends, so how does that look like anything?_

__

__

_Marnie - Well, it looks like you had a nice conversation, and I heard you bought her a drink._

_Shane - Good night Aunt Marnie._

He threw his phone on his nightstand, not wanting to continue the conversation. He hated this town, hated how everyone was in his business, hated how conflicted he was. Most of all he hated that he made her cry, hated himself for being the way he is. He hated his need to push people away. People tried, especially when he first moved here. Emily for a while tried to be friendly, flirty, but he shut that shit down. He didn’t have the room to care about anyone other than his family in his life. He didn’t want the bullshit or the drama. He would be fine on his own and when Jas was an adult he could go drink himself sick alone somewhere. Then Kate showed up one day, slammed into him, no different than anyone else in this town. Yet, she was. She didn’t become afraid of him when he barked at her. She came back and put him in his place. No matter how much ice he had she brought enough fire to melt it. “Fuck.” he said out loud, getting up to get the six pack he had in the fridge, bringing the beer to bed with him. He popped open a can and began drinking, hoping to forget how she looked in the moonlight, with tears running down her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my sad, angry, boi. I was gonna do the Egg Festival today but I decided to do a chapter through his eyes since he had a pretty shitty night. I like diving into him and his mind. As someone who battles anxiety and depression it's a good outlet and in a lot of ways I can understand him. I also have been very attracted to standoffish people so it's something I am pretty familiar with.
> 
> I hope you guys liked this and I think I may had a little stand off with my sweet emo Sebby and my standoffish King Shane. I love these boys far too much. It's going to be a crazy run, because in my play through I definitely ended up with both of them at different points and in my real life goodness knows I have known enough of them too. It will definitely carry over here as well. Which one will see end up with? Will it be both at different times? Will it be neither of them? I don't even know the answers!


	14. Always Like This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Egg Festival! I am already planning my chapter for the Flower Dance, but first we have eggs. All the eggs. This is a pretty long chapter, and not devoted to just one perspective, so I hope it flows okay and isn't too confusing. Usually I prefer to break them up into their own things, but in this case it didn't make sense for me to do that.
> 
> Enjoy! And as always, thank you for coming with me on this adventure, and if you are new, I hope you like it and are planning on joining me for the long haul.
> 
> I hope the chapter titles aren't throwing people off either! I am just picking a title of a song from whatever playlist I am vibing to at the time I am writing, so they probably won't line up.

Year 1 - Spring 13 - Egg Festival

Kate woke up at 6 AM, as she always did no matter which day it was. She decided to hurry up and tend to her crops so that she would have enough time to head over to the Egg Festival. She knew it started at 9 and if she got an early start she should have more than enough time.

She tended to all her vegetables, nothing ready to be picked today. She ran inside, took a quick shower, and headed out for the festival.

She was amazed when she walked in, seeing all of the decorations. She had no idea when they would have had time to throw it all together given not even 12 hours ago it had looked like it always looked. She noticed a little stand set up, Pierre behind it, and went over.

“Morning, Pierre!” Kate greeted him. “I am surprised to see you selling anything and not celebrating with everyone!”

“It’s a great time to remind people that this is the season for planting!” he responded. “It’s also the only time of the year I have strawberry seeds, so you better act fast if you want some!”

Kate loved strawberries and hadn’t had one this season at all. It was funny how little one thought about their food, or how it got to the stores. She quickly bought some seeds, enough for a small crop. It would give her something to really look forward to and something just for her. “Plant those as soon as possible so you can get some fruit before the season ends.” Pierre told her as he handed her the purchase.

She took her seeds and placed them in her bag, making sure to secure it so they didn’t fall out. She looked around and saw pretty much the entire village already here. She even saw the man she met at the mountains. She decided to go say hi, since he was standing alone.

“Hello! We met the other day.” she smiled, approaching him.

“Hi. Yes, I remember you.” he said as a greeting back. He looked uncomfortable that she was talking to him, as if he wasn’t used to being seen.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think you told me your name when we met?” she asked.

He looked at her, a surprised expression. “I’m Linus. No one really talks to me here...I just come for the deviled eggs.” 

Kate was a little taken aback by that. She wasn’t sure why people wouldn’t talk to him, though I guess he didn’t really look like he was trying to fit in. “Would you like me to get you some and bring them over?” she offered.

“That would be nice, thank you.” he said, smiling at her for the first time. Kate walked over to the table, saying hi to Maru, Demetrius, and Robin. She saw a blond haired girl and a guy wearing a sports jacket that she hadn’t seen before. She made a note to go say hello to them as well since she was sure they were probably some of the townsfolk who she hadn’t met yet. She walked back over to Linus, handing him his plate. 

“Here you are. Just flag me if you want some more. I get not wanting to go into crowds. They aren’t really my thing either.” she smiled.

“Thanks, Kate. It was nice of you to come over and say hi.” he said honestly. There were very few people in Stardew who even really bothered to acknowledge him.

“I hope to see you around some more, Linus. I bet you have some great tips about living off the land, and I can use all the help I can get.” she laughed. He laughed with her and she went off to mingle some more. 

She approached the blonde girl and guy, hoping to say hi. They seemed lost in conversation. She didn’t want to interrupt so she turned to walk away but then heard a voice call out. “Oh, hey. So you’re the new girl, huh? I’m Alex.” She turned around again, smiling and holding out her hand. His hand was very warm and her hand was lost in his.

“Hello, I’m Kate, and yeah, the new girl. I didn’t think I would have much of a chance to say that once I was done with school.” she said.

The blonde girl looked her up and down, not looking impressed. “I’m Haley. Hmm, if it weren’t for those horrendous clothes you might actually be pretty. Actually, nevermind.”

Kate was shocked. She had no words and usually words were not something she lacked. Alex looked down, slightly embarrassed but Kate wasn’t sure who he was embarrassed for. “Well, yeah, nice meeting you both.” she said walking away.

She barely had time to get her thoughts together when Abigail came over, taking her hand. “I’m so happy you are here! Neither Sam or Sebastian have bothered to show up yet. I can’t wait for the egg hunt. It’s my favorite thing and I pretty much win every year. Are you gonna hunt too?” As soon as Abi had pulled her out of the way her voice got quieter when she spoke next. “Don’t worry about Haley. She’s a bitch. Alex is okay on his own, but she is always around him, so he isn’t worth the time either.”

Kate barely had time to process what had happened before Abi had her running from place to place. She saw Shane, out of the corner of her eye, watching her. She wanted to go say hello to him but didn’t want to drag Abigail with her. All of a sudden she saw Sam approaching and knew that it would be her opportunity to break away for a bit. He came over to the group, saying hello, and bopping Abigail on the head when she started complaining how late he was. 

“You better save some of that rage for Sebastian.” he told the purple haired girl.

“But Sebastian is always late! I expect that from him!” she exclaimed, rubbing her head when he bonked her.

Kate looked around but had lost sight of Shane. Well, she was sure she would have enough time through the course of the day to be able to talk to him. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sebastian left his house around 9:20 to head to the festival. He hated these things but knew he would get more shit from his mom and Demetrius, and from Abigail, if he missed it. At least it wasn’t as bad as the Flower Dance but he groaned when he realized that was coming in a short time too. 

The only somewhat good thing is that he would be able to see Kate. He didn’t know why he was so drawn to her, but he wasn’t going to deny that he was. He always felt pretty alone in the town, even with Abigail and Sam. They never understood his love for reading, or his job, and how it was actually a job. His mom was always supportive of him, but even she didn’t quite understand him. 

Kate did though, and she didn’t question him, just accepted it. She loved the same books that he did, and he was able to have a conversation with her about them. He couldn’t remember the last time he was really able to go in detail about the Cave Saga series with anyone who could match his enthusiasm for it.

The only thing he was having trouble with was Shane. He saw her talking to him when he entered the saloon last night, and it didn’t look like they were fighting. Shane looked like he was actually enjoying himself. She ran out after him and was clearly crying after whatever happened happened when they left. He didn’t buy her bullshit allergy excuse for a moment but let her think he did. Was she interested in him? Was he interested in her? He didn’t like the thought of either of those things being true.

He got to the fairgrounds and saw Shane over by the chickens. He also saw Abi, Sam, and Kate together on the other side. He walked directly to Shane, who didn’t bother to look up when he approached.

“Hey, Shane.” Sebastian said, waiting for him to turn around before he continued. Shane stood up, not quite meeting Sebastain’s height.

“Yeah, what do you want?” Shane asked, not actually sounding like he cared to know the answer.

“Listen, I don’t know what you said, or what you did, but don’t you fucking make her sad again.” Sebastian warned him.

Shane looked at the boy in front of him, wanting this challenge, wanting someone to take the aggression out on. “What are you going to do, emo kid? Who the fuck are you to tell me anything?”

Jas came running over, pulling on Shane’s shorts. “Uncle Shane, can we let Vincent hold a chicken? He really wants to!” Shane turned slowly, seeing the two kids looking excited. Oh, he wanted to continue the conversation with Sebastian, hoping to take it farther, but there was no way he was going to do or say anything in front of Jas.

He turned back to Sebastian deciding to end it before it got worse. “Why don’t you run off to your friends and we can catch up later.” Sebastian stared at him for a bit before nodding, leaving to meet up with the others.

He approached the group and Sam yelled, “Oh, thank Yoba you are here. Abigail can go off on someone else for not being here at daybreak.” 

Sebastian smiled at the group, glancing over at Shane and seeing that he was watching them. He walked over to Kate and gave her a hug, breaking away to look at her. “Your medicine worked. Glad to see your allergies aren’t acting up.”

Kate blushed, not expecting the hug. “Yeah, see, I told you. It happens from time to time, but I know how to make it go away.”

Abigail jumped into Sebastian giving him a hug. “I didn’t know we were hugging as greetings now! Make sure to get Sam next!” she yelled, turning around to wink at Kate. 

Sam backed off, “No, I am good. Thanks though.” he said laughing.

They all started talking about the hunt, the boys not wanting to do it despite Abigail’s protests. Kate saw this as a good moment to back away from the group. “I’m going to get a drink.” she told them, taking off before they could say anything.

She wandered by the saloon and grabbed some lemonade. She then saw Shane over by the chickens with Jas and Vincent. She approached them, wanting to at least say hi.

“Hi, Kate!” Jas yelled to her as she came over. She saw Shane stiffen, then stand up. He turned around to look at her and gave her a small smile.

“Hey, Jas! Hi Vincent!” she said. She had met the small boy one day when he and Jas came over to the farm to say hello.

“I’m holding a chicken!” he told her, very proud of himself for sitting still so the chicken could rest comfortable on his lap.

“That looks like fun!” she told him. “I never got to do things like that in the city! We are lucky we live here and get to do these sorts of things, huh?” 

Shane smiled, honestly this time. She was so warm with the kids, and kids were great judges of character. “You want to give it a try, city girl? Our hens have been working overtime to prepare for the festival. They deserve some extra love today.” 

Kate’s face lit up at the thought of being able to hold one. She nodded excitedly and waited for Shane to show her what to do.

He led her over to a little chair and when she sat, brought her a chicken to put in her lap. “This is Charlie. He is really gentle, so don’t worry.” He placed him in her lap and she cooed at the bird, petting it and talking softly to it. His heart melted watching her with the kids and Jas.

“Uncle Shane, you don’t even let me hold Charlie!” Jas yelled, “He is your favorite!” Shane turned bright red. Children are also prone to just running their mouths without thinking.

Kate glanced up at him, noticing how red faced he was. “Maybe this is his way of apologizing to me.” she thought. “Hey Shane,” she called to him, “Can you show me how to pet him properly? I am petting him like I do Spencer but that probably isn’t right.”

Shane came over to her, showing her how to hold him, how to pet him. All the things that he knew Charlie loved. He talked to her about chickens, and raising them from chicks to adult.

“You know a lot about them.” Kate said, impressed by his knowledge. “Listen, at some point, I’d like to branch out the farm a little to have some animals. Would you be willing to help me get started? I would pay you for your time, of course.” 

“Yeah, of course, and no you don’t have to pay me. I can stop over some time next week and we can go over your land, see where it would make sense to get started.” he offered.

“That would be nice. I can get us some beers, and make you dinner as a thank you.” Kate said, smiling at him. 

“You really don’t need to do all that.” he said even though the idea of it was something he would like very much.

“It would be no problem! Especially if you are helping me. Though, I am afraid that would move us up the next rung of the ladder. We could dangerously be approaching friends territory.” she told him. Just then Marnie came over to check on everyone and the birds.

“Morning, Kate! Almost didn’t see you there sitting down! And with Charlie?” she said surprised, turning to look at Shane.

“Aunt Marnie, Uncle Shane has a dinner date with Kate!” Jas proclaimed. Shane again turned red, as did Kate.

“It isn’t a date. It’s me helping her figure out where would be a good spot to prepare for animals if she wants.” Shane stammered.

Kate jumped in, “And the dinner is a thank you since he won’t let me pay him.” Marnie looked between them and laughed. “I hear Lewis is going to be starting the hunt soon. I think Abigail was looking for you, dear.” she said to Kate.

Kate let Shane take Charlie and she stood up, brushing herself off. She quickly said goodbye, glad for the excuse to get away. It wasn’t a date. It was a friendly thing to do.

She rejoined Abigail, Sam, and Sebastian at the town square. They all looked to her, Abigail practically jumping out of her skin. “This is THE BEST part! I’m looking forward to the competition, Kate!” she told her.

Sebastian stayed quiet but glanced at Kate. He had seen her over by the chickens, but didn’t want to pry or ask any questions. She didn’t look upset, so he would just let it go. “After Abigail wins for the tenth year in a row what do you guys want to do?”

Sam stated he wanted to eat, so they all agreed that they would after the egg hunt was done. As predicted, Abigail won, but Kate had a great time trying to find the eggs. She found three and told Abigail she would be coming for her next year.

The rest of the day passed by pretty quickly. She noticed Sebastain’s leg kept brushing into hers at the table while they were eating, but it was pretty tight quarters. Abigail started talking about the flower dance and the boys groaned. Abigail quickly filled her in on what it was, the yearly spring tradition to celebrate flowers, new beginnings, etc. Kate was excited about it.

“It sounds lovely!” she told them.

“Yeah, and there is a dance where we all dress up. I always dance with Sebastian, even though he hates it.” Abigail said.

“Oh, is it preplanned?” Kate asked, not sure of what the tradition was.

“Mostly, I mean, everyone has just paired off. I mean, if he wants to dance with someone else…” she began, a slight teasing tone to her voice.

“Abigail, stop.” he said, not pushing it further. 

“Well, I look forward to watching!” Kate said happily. She was finding more and more reasons to fall in love with this town. 

Soon day became night and Kate found herself back at home, feeding Spencer before settling in for the night. She couldn’t believe it was already past 10 and time for bed. She grabbed her book, laying down, waiting for Spencer to join her. She had only been here for two weeks but it was really starting to feel like home. She had friends, something she never had time for in the city, and thinking honestly, no one really even tried in the city. She had a dog, soon hopefully she would have other animals to take care of as well.

She thought of her Grandpa, his letter, and how he said he needed to connect with nature and other people. It may have been only two weeks, but she knew the feeling because she couldn’t remember feeling as content as she did in this moment.


	15. Precious Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, almost didn't make the daily update, but I got it in! Notes at the end!

Year 1 - Spring 14

Sunday morning was Kate’s favorite day of the week. It started the week and she had dedicated that day to explore a bit of the town and take some time for herself. Farm life was keeping her busy and tired; she often found herself too tired to do much else the rest of the day when she dedicated her mornings and afternoons to the farm

She fed Spencer and planned out her day. She wanted to check out the playground area after breakfast. She hadn’t been around the park too much but she had fond memories of it as a child. She quickly washed her morning dishes and headed out the door.

She found the park slightly updated but still pretty much as she remembered. She took some time to swing on the swings, letting the air blow over her and under her. She spotted Mayor Lewis coming up the path and she jumped off the swing while it was going up, just as she did when she was little.

“Good morning, Kate! Never too old to still swing on the swings, I see.” Lewis said while waving back. 

“It was definitely my favorite thing when I was little. I remember Grandpa spent a lot of time pushing me on these swings.” she answered in return.

“Hey, do you have a moment? I’ve been wanting to show you something.” he beckoned her over to him and she followed. He brought her to the run down building next to the park, a place Kate hadn’t really looked at in years.

“Is this the Community Center?” she asked, surprised. She remembered the place well in her youth, it was always bustling. It was funny now that she thought of it since she hadn’t even remembered it for the first couple of weeks she was here.

“Yes, though no one uses it anymore. Come on in.” he said, opening the door.

Rundown was not even close to what it was. It seemed empty of all the soul it had once possessed. The interior was all decayed and there seemed to be little...what were they even? “Ummm, Mayor Lewis?” Kate asked.

“Just Lewis, dear. I think you may be the only one who uses my title.” he said turning around to face her. “Are you okay?”

Kate looked around, the little thing disappeared into thin air. “Oh, it’s nothing, I thought I saw…” she stopped, seeing another one behind him. “There, behind you!” she said, and Lewis turned around to see nothing.

“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if the place were full of rats. Anyways, I usually kept this place locked up, but I will leave it unlocked in the future. In case you want to come visit, think of your Grandpa. I know you both spent time together here. I was hoping to get it back into good shape but the older I get the harder it seems that will be.” Lewis sighed. “Well, I’ve taken enough of your time for today. I hope you have a good day!”

Kate went back to the playground after they both left, but she couldn’t get the Community Center out of her mind. It would be nice to fix it back up, not that she had any real skills to make that happen, but she could learn. “I’m learning how to fish, and I never thought I could do that.” she thought to herself.

She headed back into the center and headed over to the left side. She thought she saw something sparkling in the lower room so headed into it. She found a glowing square right in the middle of the floor and dusted it off. It had a language on it she had never seen before, almost glyph like. She thought she saw another one of those things she was quite certain did not resemble a rat and decided to leave. 

She headed back home and was greeted by Spencer, followed by Shane. “Hi, Shane?” she greeted, wondering why he was there.

“Oh, hey. I was just about to leave you a note. I had today off from Joja and I wasn’t sure if you wanted to go over the chicken stuff.” he said quickly, turning a little red.

“Oh, that would be great! I didn’t have any plans for the rest of today, but are you sure you want to use your day off like this?” she asked him.

“I didn’t really have any plans either, so yeah, I’m game if you’re game.” he answered. 

“Well, in that case, give me a little bit. Feel free to stay here, the door is unlocked, but I will be right back.” she said heading back out before he could answer. She had promised him dinner and beer, and she didn’t have anything really on hand for either of those. She went to Pierre’s grateful to see that they had beer. She wasn’t sure what she should make for dinner, not wanting to make chicken, and saw some frozen pizza. “That’s gonna have to do.” Kate thought to herself, making her purchases and turning to leave.

“Hey, wait!” she heard Abi yell and Kate turned around. Kate hadn’t seen her in the store so she had assumed she wasn’t home. “I was about to head to Sebastian’s to play a game, you wanna come? We could use a fourth.”

“Oh, I wish I knew beforehand! I actually didn’t have anything planned for today…” Kate started but Abi jumped in.

“Great! I hope you don’t mind being a cleric. They keep trying to make me be the cleric, and I think it’s because I am a girl, but I would much rather be a warrior.” Abi went on.

“Oh, no, I mean I can’t make it. I left Shane at my house. He’s going to help me come up with a chicken plan and I promised I would make him dinner if he did. So, I ran here to grab something to make. And beer.” Kate told her.

“Wait. You are making Shane dinner? As in, like the two of you? Alone, having dinner?” Abi asked.

“Yeah, but it isn’t as deep as it sounds. This is not breaking news, Abi. This is just paying someone back for a favor.” Kate wasn’t sure why everyone assumed dinner meant a date. It was just food. 

“Give me your phone.” Abi demanded. Kate passed her phone to her and she watched as Abi put her number in. She handed her phone to Kate and waited for her to do the same. Kate placed her bag down and put her number in. “Ok, so if he is rude, or makes you uncomfortable, you text me. I will check in on you.”

Kate laughed, handing Abi back her phone. “I don’t think we need to worry, but I promise if anything untoward happens, I will call you.” She picked her bag back up and left, waving goodbye to her friend and her dad.

She got back to the farm to find Shane still outside, so she pulled out the beers, took two, and handed him one. “Ok, first part complete of my promise.”

Shane took the beer and popped it open. “You really didn’t have to do this.” he told her. He wasn’t going to refuse the gift, but he was surprised she ran out to get it.

“Oh, I will make you work for the second one. Let’s get planning.” Kate teased, going in the house to put the food and beers away.

They spent the rest of the afternoon going over her land. She wanted the coop relatively close to her house and together they found a good spot. He told her to talk to Robin when she was ready to begin and once it was built she could go see them at the ranch for a chicken. 

“Well, I will leave you to it and head back now, unless you need help with anything else?” Shane asked, hoping she would have some excuse to stay longer.

“Not so fast. You had a beer, you earned the second which you haven’t had yet, and I still owe you dinner. So unless you have plans for something else, I think I have you locked in here. I would feel awful if I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain.” she said in a tone that would not hear an argument.

“I don’t have plans.” he responded and she beckoned him to follow her. He went in, surprised by how much bigger it was on the inside then he thought it would be. “Wow, this place looks great. You would never know that it had been abandoned for as long as it was.” 

“Yeah, Robin did a great job expanding it.” Kate said, handing him the second beer and taking one for herself. “I hope you don’t mind frozen pizza. I didn’t think it would be appropriate to make chicken and I wasn’t sure how you felt about fish.”

“Beer and pizza? Have you talked to my aunt? I don’t know how you knew but these are two of my favorite things.” he stated. They made small talk in the kitchen, waiting for the pizza to cook. “C’mon, you mean to tell me that the entire time in the city you never went to one Tunnlers game?”

“Not one. I wasn’t going to go by myself and to be honest, I don’t really understand gridball all that much.” she answered him. Her phone made a sound and she looked at it. She had missed four texts from Abigail, mostly sent when she was still outside.

_Abi - Hey? Everything going okay?_

_Abi - Helllooo. Are you okay?_

_Abi - Holy shit, did he kill you?_

_Abi - You should message me. The boys are freaking out and ready to go check on you._

_Kate - Girl, it’s fine. I was outside and didn’t have my phone on me. I’m alive and fine._

Shane finished his beer and handed Kate the can. “Not sure if you have a recycling system set up. I should probably head home.”

“You sure? I still have some beer left if you want?” she asked him. It was nice to have someone over to talk to other than Spencer. “I wish I thought of dessert.”

“Let’s go sit on the porch and finish off the beers.” Shane suggested. Kate grabbed the beers and they headed outside, sitting on the top stair. “So, you regret coming here yet? Miss the city in all its splendor?” 

Kate looked up into the sky, gazing on the stars before answering. “Shane, look up, right here.” she said pointing out a star in the sky. She turned to look at him and saw he was looking in the wrong direction. She gently moved his head to where she was pointing. “No, here. See that star?” she asked him.

“Yeah, sure.” he answered, looking at it for a bit before turning to look at her. She was lost in the night sky and he thought she was absolutely beautiful. The way she looked, transfixed, it went beyond pretty.

“That’s part of Ursa Major. When I was in school I loved learning about the constellations, but was never really able to see much of them because of all the pollution. I come out here each night and spend some time staring at the stars. Are there things I miss, sure. Things were certainly easier in the city in a lot of ways. Here, it’s a bit more lonely. I have more time to think and doubt, but I also have so many more ways I can prove to myself that I am more capable than I thought I was. Do you know what I mean?” When he didn’t answer she turned to look at him, finding him staring at her. “Wow, sorry, that got deep.”

“No, I think I know what you mean.” He got up and put his beer can on the porch. “For recycling,” he told her. “It really is time for me to go now, I have to be up to work tomorrow. Thanks for dinner, Kate. It was really nice.”

“Thank you for helping me plan out my next expansion and for also being really impressed at my frozen pizza making skills.” she laughed.

“Well, you used an oven. I usually just throw things in the microwave.” he said while hopping down the stairs. He turned to look at her one last time before leaving. “You know, Kate, you don’t have to feel lonely. I know I have my moments, and I can’t promise you that they won’t happen again, but I’m around. For anything. You want to talk, or hang out, have a beer, go for a walk, just call me.”

She stood up and hopped down the stairs to face him, “Thanks, Shane.” She held her hand out to him and he took her hand in his. “Friends.”

“Friends. Why we move rather quickly.” he said in a bantering tone. He headed back to his house and Kate watched the stars for a bit before heading back inside. When she was cleaning up she found a piece of paper on the counter with a phone number on it and - Shane underneath the number. She put his number into her phone and called Spencer in for the night.

_Kate - Thanks for your number. Here is mine now so you have it. Hope you got home okay._

_Shane - I did. It isn’t that far, you know. Thanks again for dinner. It was the best day off I’ve had in awhile._

_Kate - Me too. Night, Shane._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to give them something nice. Seb and Kate seem to have a good thing going and I wanted to give these two a good foundation as well. I've been trying to keep things in canon as much as possible but I am going to have to change some things as we go on. I reckon heart events will start coming into play and some things may move faster than others or may have different timings. 
> 
> Shane can be really great. I just think he hasn't really taken a lot of time getting to know people being as standoffish as he is, but underneath it all I do believe he cares an awful lot. I really want to show him in a softer light because I feel that there would be more there than just shoving beer and pizza down his throat to get him to like you (which is exactly what I did in my game - literally chased him around to give him a beer or pizza).
> 
> Next chapter I think may be a Seb chapter of his reaction to Abi telling him Kate was making dinner for Shane. My boi can't be handling that news well.


	16. Giving In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you all! Here we go, Day 14 from Seb's perspective! The texting takes place after Shane left in the last chapter, just for timing sake, though it was probably pretty obvious. Sorry I didn't update yesterday; I was rona tested this morning and now just waiting on the results. I've been a bit tired and yesterday I didn't have a lot of energy to work with. I won't have the results for three days, at least, so I'm hoping this is just some bad allergies.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy, remember to stay safe, stay home (if you can), and stay 6 feet apart!

Year 1 - Spring 14 - Sebastian

Sebastian finished up working for the day, shutting down his computer and grabbing his phone. He looked at it and saw there were no new messages, just the ones from Abigail and Sam saying they would be over around 5 to play Solarian Chronicles. He started to text Kate, see if she wanted to come over as well, but he hesitated. He didn’t want to seem needy, or desperate, for her attention. He was still trying to work out exactly what it was that she brought out in him, or why he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

He had never spoken words to Shane before the Egg Festival. He couldn’t really imagine ever having to speak to him. He thought he was a dick and the stories he heard from people who tried to get to know him solidified his opinion. He heard bits from Sam, since his little brother was always with Jas. Kate brought out something in him though, and when he clearly knew Shane made her cry he was ready to finally talk to him. He would have said more, done more, if the kids didn’t show up. The line had been drawn and he had a feeling that both he and Shane knew that.

He picked up the phone again, pushing down his self doubt, when Sam came into his room, carrying a bag of chips. He looked up, placing his phone back down. He couldn’t believe it was almost 5 already. “Maybe I’ll just text her later.” he thought to himself.

“Hey, Seb. How was your work thing?” Sam asked, shoving chips in his mouth.

“It was fine. Just got done but do me a favor and don’t get shit all over the floor.” he said, indicating to the chips.

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t.” Sam answered, handing the bag in Sebastian’s direction. “You want some? I picked up the new flavor at Joja, Dill Pickle.”

“Fuck no.” he grimaced. Just then Abigail busted into the room, carrying some sodas. 

“Alright, boys, I’m here. We ready for this?” Abigail said happily. “I’m still not the cleric though.”

Sam turned to Sebastian. “We should have asked Kate to play. I bet she would be a Cleric.”

“First off, assuming she would want to be a cleric because she’s a girl is bullshit.” Abi jumped in. “Second, I did ask her, but she couldn’t come. Not only that but you guys will never believe why she can’t come.”

Sebastian turned towards Abi, giving her his full attention. “Spit it out, Abi.” he said dryly. 

“So, she came into the store and was buying beer. Pretty sure I saw a frozen pizza too.” she started.

“I really hope this is going somewhere good.” Sam commented.

“Well, if you shut it and let me finish. Anyways, I told her about the game and asked her to come. She told me she couldn’t because Shane was over helping her, something about chickens, and that she was making him dinner.” Shane. Dinner. With someone.” she finished, watching Sebastian’s face. 

Sebastian felt like he was kicked in the stomach. Shane and Kate, alone, her making him dinner. It sounded like a date. With Shane. Fuck, how could this have happend? He looked at his phone, debating on texting her, trying to see if he could feel out what was going on.

“Shit, really? I would have never expected that from how they were together that first week. Actually, I could have never expected that with Shane at all. He’s such an ass.” Sam said, oblivious to the change in Sebastian. 

Abi, however, was not oblivious, and this is exactly what she wanted to see to confirm her suspicions concerning Seb’s feelings towards the girl. “I did tell her and she said she would be definitely interested. It also didn’t seem like a date thing. She did say he was helping her, so I don’t think it’s anything more than that. Plus, she already promised to give me any news first, and she told me that this was not newsworthy.”

They set up the game and started playing, but it was obvious that Sebastian wasn’t in it. He made mistakes commonly made by new players, almost killing the party due to the mishaps. “I gotta take a break.” he said to his friends, standing up. “I’m just gonna run outside for a few.” he said as he was walking out the door.

“What’s up with him tonight?” Sam asked Abi. “He seems a bit off, well more off than normal.”

“Let me go check on him, you stay here.” she offered, following after Seb. She found him outside, by the lake, his normal spot for smoking. “Hey you. Wanna talk about it?” she asked him, expecting him to tell her to go away and give him space.

“I just don’t get it.” he told her, slowly inhaling his cigarette. They stood there together, for once Abi not talking and just waiting for him to go on. “Why would she have dinner with him?”

“Well, why wouldn’t she?” Abi questioned, trying to get him to say the words out loud. She was well aware that keeping things inside wasn’t great and when you can express them, you can deal with them.

“Because he’s an asshole. He made her cry. I mean, you didn’t buy that allergy bullshit, did you?” he inhaled again.

“No, I didn’t. Sam may have been the only one who would have.” she said.

“So, why would she have dinner with him?” he asked again.

“The real question here Seb is why do you care? I’ve known you forever. Why do you care what she does on her night or who she has dinner with? Not only care, but let it bother you so much that you are making mistakes you haven’t made in six years of playing Solorian Chronicals.” Abi finished speaking and waited for an answer that she wasn’t sure she would get.

“I don’t know…” he started.

“Yes, you really do.” she finished. “Don’t bullshit me, Seb. We’ve been friends for too long and if I know the answer, I know you know the answer.”

He took another long drag from his cigarette, exhaling before saying anything. “If you are trying to see if I am interested in her, then yes. I am.”

“That’s a good first step.” she told him. She really liked Kate and thought that she and Sebastian would be a good match. Getting them together may be the hard part though since Sebastian was primarily so closed off to people.

“So, what do I do? You were the only girl I halfway ever tried with, and that was pretty natural. This feels different.” 

“It is different. We tried to get together because we didn’t trust that girls and boys could just be friends. We also had the entire town planning our wedding since we were 5.” she laughed. “Just talk to her, man. Text her, call her.”

“We should probably head back in and finish the game, huh. Sam is gonna come looking for us soon if we don’t.” Sebastian said, putting out his cigarette and holding it in his hand to throw out. They headed back in together. When they got back to the room, Abi grabbed her phone and texted someone, putting it down, and sitting back at the table. 

Twenty minutes went by and she picked up her phone again. “Huh, no answer.” she said, fingers moving again.

“What are you doing?” asked Sam. 

“Trying to text Kate but she isn’t responding. Trying to lock her in for our next game session.” she answered. 

Sam looked around the room. “Do you think Shane did something? Noooo, he isn’t that much of an asshole. Sorry, my mom has been watching a lot of true crime things lately so my brain just goes there automatically.”

Sebastian stood up. “Do you think we should go there?”

“Let’s just give it a second.” Abi said, texting her again. “If she doesn’t respond in 10, we can just go take a peek, make sure she’s okay.”

“And that isn’t considered weird?” Sebastian said, looking at the two. “Literally going to her house and looking into her windows is not considered weird? I mean can’t we just say we were in the neighborhood?”

“What is even the neighborhood?” Sam jumped in. “How does that not sound like we aren’t just checking up on her to make sure Shane hasn’t done anything? I mean, this dude has been in this town for how long and never spoke to anyone, yet the new girl, in the town for like two weeks, who lives alone and away from everyone else, is suddenly okay to talk to? We should just go.”

“Wait, wait!” Abi exclaimed. “She just texted back. She’s fine. Let’s just finish this game, please, before we go banging down doors or being creepy window stalkers.”

The game was tense, and they barely made it through to the next checkpoint alive. They all knew that they weren’t going to go forward and decided to end it for the night. Sam was the first to go, setting plans to play next Sunday. Abi stayed behind for a little longer to talk to Sebastian. 

“So, maybe text her?” she offered. “You are going to drive yourself crazy.”

“What if she doesn’t want me to text her? What if she is interested in Shane?” he was doubting himself, his moments with her. What if he was just imagining what he wanted to happen?

“Then we deal with that. I’ve been watching you two, though. Do you know how often she looks at you? Or you her? Why do you think I was trying to open up the opportunity for you to dance with her?” Abi said, matter of factly.

“Abi, I hate the flower dance.” 

“I know you do, but she may like it. Would you rather her dance with someone else? Listen, I have to go, but think about it. I know it’s hard to put yourself out there, trust me, I do. It can be worth it though. You deserve it.” she told him, giving him a quick hug before leaving.

Sebastian laid on his bed, staring at his phone. He was about to reach for it when he heard the notification sound go off.

_Kate - Your game done? If so, how was it? If not, I’m sorry for interrupting. It sounds fun, though, from what Abi told me._

He couldn’t help but smile when he saw her text.

_Seb - It ended a few minutes ago. I think we’ve had better nights, but we made it though. We could use a cleric._

_Kate - Ah, yes, the female class of cleric. Haha, as long as you guys don’t mind catching me up to speed, I would love to be your healer._

_Seb - How was your night? I heard you had a wild dinner date._

_Kate - Not a date, just a thank you for helping me out. It was good though, as much as frozen pizza can be._

He was somehow comforted by the fact that it was just a frozen pizza. He felt a date would have been more effort.

_Seb - So are you officially part of our group now, or do I have to ask you every week if you’ll hang out on Friday?_

_Kate - If you all will have me, I’d love to hang out. It’s nice to have something to look forward to after all the farm work all week._

_Seb- It’s a standing date, then._

_Kate - So, can I only talk to you on Fridays? Is that the designated days?_

_Seb- I may give you a pass for a few extra days. I’ll check my calendar._

_Kate - I’m glad you had a good night. I’m excited to see you all on Friday._

Sebastian looked at the phone for a bit before responding. He thought of Abi’s words, their talks during and after the game.

_Seb - You don’t have to wait until Friday, you know. If you aren’t busy, you can come see me. Or text me and I can come see you. If you need help with something, just text me. Or call me. Point is, I’d like to see you and talk to you too. I don’t mind you being around me, even if I am working._

He saw her typing, the … then it went away. This happened a few more times and he started to get nervous. Maybe he took it too far too soon? 

_Kate - I should be done by noon tomorrow. Can I come visit then?”_

He exhaled the breath he was holding, unaware of how long he had it in there.

_Seb - See you around 12:30. I don’t have a frozen pizza, though._

_Kate - I know a store I can pick one up at if you’d like._

_Seb - Please don’t._

_Kate - Night, Seb._

_Seb - Night, Kate._


	17. A Lovely Day

Year 1 - Spring 15

Kate entered Robin’s house around 12:30 and found her behind the counter. “Hey there, Kate! Are you looking for another addition already?” Robin asked her as she shut the door behind her.

“No, not yet! The space is perfect for me as it is. I’m actually here to see Sebastian, he told me I could stop over around this time.” 

Robin pointed over to a staircase. “He’s right down those stairs. Glad to see you are making friends in town. I know what it felt like when I first moved in. I was by myself with Sebastian, but luckily I was able to find that great guy over there.” she said, indicating to Demetrius who had just walked into the room.

“Hello, Kate. How’s the farm coming? You must be growing some great things over there. I always thought that the vegetables that came out of there were different somehow, better than others I had. I always wondered if maybe the soil was different.” he wondered, more talking to himself at this point then to either Robin or Kate.

“You know, things do seem to grow a bit faster than I thought they would. If you ever want to check it out you can always come down to the farm for some samples.” Kate offered. Demetrius seemed to perk up at that and brought his attention back to the girls. 

“That would be great, Kate. As long as you wouldn’t mind…” he said.

“Not at all. In fact, if you were interested and free, I could always let you know when I plant my next crops if you want to see what I mean about growing faster. I mean, I may be making it up, it’s not like I have years of experience.” she suggested.

Before Demetrius could answer Robin shooed him away. “She came to see Sebby, let her go see him now. Head on down, Kate, I am sure he’s expecting you.”

“Thanks, Robin! We can talk later, Demetrius and set up a time.” Kate said as she headed down the stairs. When she got to the door she could hear keyboard tapping so she knocked softly. She felt really bad and didn’t want to bother him if he was still working.

“Come in.” she heard him say, so she opened the door and stuck her head in. She saw he was in the corner, at his computer. “Hey, you.” he greeted her when he saw her.

“You busy? I can come back later if you are still working.” Kate said, still just peeking her head around the door.

“No, it’s fine. You can bring your whole body in.” he gestured to his room. Kate opened the door wider and came in. “Thanks for offering though. Abi or Sam will usually just bust in and take over the place no matter what I’m doing. I’m finishing up soon, so if you want to just hang out until then…”

“Will do.” She looked around his room, noticing the bookshelf and heading over to it. She didn’t want to really talk to him until she knew he was done working. She looked through his books, stopping at the comics. She found one that looked interesting and sat at the table, starting to read.

Sebastian tried to stay focused on work but found it hard. He kept looking at her, just leaning over the comic book and reading. He felt his heart increase, just a little, watching her. “So this is what it feels like.” he thought to himself. Maybe Abi was right, even if he thought that what he felt for her was real at that time. This was so different. His heart never sped up when he looked at Abi, his heart never stopped when he saw her cry. Not that he didn’t feel bad if Abi cried, not that she ever really did, but it never felt personal.

Kate, oblivious to all around her, was lost in the story and the art of the comic book. She never really dabbled much into the comic books but she always loved the combination of storytelling and art. She was really engrossed and lost track of how much time had passed. Next thing she knew, she felt Sebastian leaning over her shoulder. He was so close she could breath him in. “Good pick.” he said, so close to her ear that she could feel his breath on her neck. A jolt of electricity ran through her at the feeling, making her inhale quickly. “Wanna get out of here?” he asked her, still so close. She could only nod her head.

They stood up, headed up the stairs, Sebastian leaving her at the opening saying he would be right back. Robin was talking to Demetrius in the other room and Maru was coming towards her. “Hey, Kate!” she said happily. “How’s the farm?”

“It’s good, Maru. I’m pretty excited because I just got some strawberries into the ground this morning.” Kate told her.

“Strawberries are my favorite!” Maru said excitedly. 

Kate smiled at the girl. “When they are ready I will be sure to drop some off for you!” Just then Sebastian came back, holding two bottles of water. He tossed one to Kate, nodded at Maru, and started walking towards the door. “I’ll see you soon, bearing gifts.” she told Maru then headed off to follow Sebastian. 

Once outside he headed towards the garage. “One second, gotta grab something.” he said, opening the door. There was a motorcycle in there, which he patted as he walked by.

“Is that yours?” Kate asked him, admiring the bike. She had never been on a motorcycle before, never even met anyone who had owned one. 

“Sure is. Sometimes when I just want to get away I will take her for a long ride outside of Stardew. It gives me some time to think and be alone.” he answered.

“It must be amazing to feel the wind through your hair.” Kate said, getting closer for a better look at the bike.

“I can take you for a ride one day, if you want.” he offered, putting his hand through his hair. “I can text you the next time I go out.” 

“Really? That would be great!” Kate said happily. “Hey, can we stop by Linus’s real quick?” 

Sebastian looked at her confused. “Linus’s?”

“Yeah, pretty sure he lives around here.” she said walking towards the lake, then turning left, going up the little hill. Sebastian followed her, not knowing what she would need at Linus’s. 

When they approached the tent, Linus came out, looking like he was agitated. He saw Kate and softened. “Miss Kate.” 

“Hello, Linus! I was walking to Sebastian’s and I found some things I think you’d like. We talked a little about foraging, and I wanted to share some of what I found. I would have never found it if it wasn’t for you teaching me.” she said, handing him a package she pulled out of her bag.

“I appreciate that, Miss Kate, thank you.” he told her. 

“I’m getting better with the fish, but still haven’t caught one yet. Won’t stop me from trying though.” she said to him. Sebastian stayed back and quiet this whole time. Who was this girl who made friends with the people in the town least likely to have friends. Him, Shane, Linus. There was nothing that this girl could do that would be more surprising than this. 

“Well, you keep trying and once you get that down, come visit me and I will teach you how to fish in the lakes.” Linus promised her. “I’ll just take this inside and let you young folks go. Thanks for visiting with me.”

“See you soon, Linus!” Kate called before heading back over to Sebastian. “Thanks for waiting.” she told him. 

Sebastian just smiled at her. “C’mon, I want to show you something.” he said and took her hand. He brought her to the middle of the lake, on a small island that was just there. “This is one of my favorite spots.” he told her.

“It’s really pretty.” she told him honestly. She loved the water, felt more at peace around it. This was a perfect spot to just get lost in thoughts or decompress.

They sat down, watching the water, talking a bit about books, music, comics. Seb was filling her in on Solorian Chronicles so she would be caught up story wise when they played next. Time seemed to not pass at all while they talked.

“You know, I totally forgot Maru would be your sister. I mean I’ve only seen her a few times, but I didn’t really put it together.” Kate said, after they finished up their game conversation.

Sebastian looked down, clearly bothered. “Yeah, she is.” was all he said about it. Kate noticed the difference in him and stood up, sitting herself against his back, so they weren’t facing each other. “What are you doing?”

“When I was younger and in high school, I didn’t have too many friends. I was pretty shy and awkward. I spent most of my time with books and not much with other people. I wouldn’t say I had a great time in school. When I would come home upset, I would never be able to talk about it. I’d usually just end up crying. So one day, my mom told me to sit on the floor, and she sat behind me, just like this. Sometimes it’s easier to talk about things when you aren’t just staring at someone.” she explained, her voice sounding a little sad.

“So now you want me too…” he began.

“Just talk. That’s all.” she answered.

“I’m not upset,” he began, “it’s more that it’s different for her and me. She has both her parents together. No one looks at her like she’s a mistake.”

“Do you feel like you were a mistake?” she asked him gently.

“I don’t know if that’s the right word. I never felt like that from my mom, but sometimes, the way Demetrius looks at me, that’s how I feel. Ok, you said you didn’t have a good time in school. Give me something there.”

Kate didn’t like thinking of that time. They say high school is the best time of your life, but Kate certainly hoped it wouldn’t be. She didn’t want to tell him the worst story, so she settled on the second to worst story. She felt the familiar embarrassment make her face warm going back to it and took a deep breath.

“It was my junior year. It was about a month until Prom and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go. I didn’t have anyone to go with, and I didn’t really have friends so it seemed kinda pointless. My mom told me I should go, and to be honest, I really did want to go. I really wanted to fit in somewhere. Then, this boy, Tom, he was in my music class, asked me to go. I couldn’t believe it was happening. It was just like all the books I read, where last minute the girl gets to go to the big dance. My mom was so happy. We went dress shopping, we went to different places to find the right hairdresser. The day came and I got ready but he wasn’t there. I thought maybe I had messed up somehow, like maybe we were meeting there? So I went, and there Tom was, but he was with Sharon. The whole thing was a joke that I was the punchline of. I guess they just assumed I would wait all night to get picked up. So, I left, and just drove around for a while, not wanting to go home too early, so my mom wouldn’t ask questions. I went home finally around midnight and told my mom it was the best time I ever had. I skipped Senior prom, no one asked me anyways. So there it is, something from my high school time.” 

She couldn’t believe she told him that story, of all the stories. How she was so unwanted that she was a joke for the school, but she felt like she wanted him to understand that she knew what it was like to feel out of place. She started to get nervous when he didn’t say anything, maybe he didn’t want to be around her now. Her mind started racing, how could she be so dumb to tell him a story like that? Then she felt his hand on hers, just on top of it, fingers slowly lacing into hers. They sat together for a little bit, back to back, hands intertwined.

“They were so fucking dumb.” he told her quietly. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“Eh, it happens, I guess.” Kate said, trying to put a light tone in her voice. “None of it matters now, though. It’s not like I need to see them still.”

“So you never went to your prom, then, even though you wanted to go?” he asked. 

“No, I can’t say it held up the expectations for the little bit I was there. I think proms and dances in books and movies are written by people who haven’t actually experienced them.” Just then they heard Sam and Abi’s voices coming from the other side of the lake.

“Why shouldn’t I find him? It’s not like he’s doing anything most likely.” they could hear Sam saying. “Plus his mom said he was with Kate. They’re probably just hanging out.”

“Maybe they just want to hang out. Did you get an invite text? I didn’t get an invite text.” Abi yelled at the boy.

“What could they possibly be doing that we can’t do with them? We always hang out on Mondays.” Sam argued.

“We hang out every night. You’re such a dumbass.” Abi said, clearly annoyed.

Kate laughed, standing up, releasing her hand from Sebastian’s. “Hey guys, we’re here.” she yelled to them.

Sebastian just sighed, standing up as well. “You ever wish that you could have better hiding spots?” he said under his breath. “Come on, we should meet up with them.”

Kate turned around, looking at him, a strange expression on her face. Did he mean that he wanted to spend time with her alone? She searched his face for answers, but found none. 

They quickly all caught up together, Sam going on about how he didn’t know they had changed plans on hanging out. Abi and Sebastian kept exchanging glances, but Kate didn’t know why. She yawned and decided to head home. “I’ve got an early day tomorrow. Actually all my days are early. It comes with the job.” she told the group. She said goodbye to everyone and as she was getting ready to leave, Linus called her up to his tent. 

When she got up there, he handed her a hot plate, carefully covered by weaved leaves. “I had a good day at the lake fishing and wanted to share it with you, my young friend.” he said to her. Kate was surprised and touched by the gesture. 

“Thank you, Linus! I appreciate this very much.” she said, not realizing that she was hungry. She said her goodbyes to him as well, and started walking back towards her house. Sebastian caught up with her, wanting to catch her alone before she left.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” he asked her, wanting her to say yes. 

She really wanted to say yes but she knew she would regret it tomorrow. “Let’s plan another day soon. Farming doesn’t care if I don’t get to bed on time. Plus, I have to feed Spencer.” she said. Just then Robin opened the door.

“Kate, are you staying for dinner?” Robin asked. She liked the idea of Kate and Sebastian together. She had never really seen him interested in anyone before.

“No, thank you, Robin. Plus, Linus took care of me just now, giving me dinner, so I am all set. I appreciate the offer! Tell Maru I will have her strawberries soon! And please let Demetrius know that I meant it when I offered him to come to the farm.”

“I will. Come visit again soon!” Robin said as she shut the door. 

“Can I walk you home?” he asked, wanting any time he could have.

“I don’t want to keep you from Sam and Abi…” she started to say, but Sebastian cut her off.

“They’ll be fine.” he said and together they set off towards Kate’s house. Once they turned the corner, he spoke again. “Thank you for today. I haven’t ever really talked about how I felt at home. Not to Abi, or Sam, really. I mean, Abi’s parents are pretty much picture perfect. Sam’s dad has been deployed for a while, but he still has him. I just don’t think they would get it, you know?”

“Yeah, I do. It’s okay to let people in sometimes though, Seb. Even if they don’t know exactly what it feels like it doesn’t mean that they can’t be there for you. I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to talk to me, and thanks for listening to me as well.” she answered, taking his hand in hers this time.

“I’m usually pretty anxious around most people, but I don’t feel that way around you. It’s strange, really.” he told her, as they were getting closer to the house. “I can’t explain it. I’ve been trying to figure it out, but I just can’t.”

“Do you need a reason?” she asked him. “I mean, it’s a good thing, right? I’m glad you aren’t anxious around me, and I don’t feel anxious around you. I’m so glad that I’ve met you.” she told him. “I never thought I would make any friends. I just wanted to get out from where I was, in a job I didn’t care about, from a city I knew no one and no one knew me.”

Friends. The words stabbed his heart, but he knew what she meant. “No, I don’t need a reason. I just don’t want it to go away.” he told her honestly. He held onto her hand, walking slowly, not really wanting to reach her house.

“I don’t see why it would go away.” she said once they reached her house. “I mean, I’m not going anywhere. You planning on going anywhere?”

“Not yet. Maybe someday, but not yet. I used to think about it all the time though, what it would feel like to leave it all behind.” he answered honestly. “I haven’t really had a solid reason to stay until…” but he didn’t finish.

Kate looked at him, taking him in. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She had dates before, and she certainly had kissed guys after the dates, but those were dates. She wasn’t sure what this even was and she was so afraid that she would ruin whatever it was if she tried. That was the last thing that she wanted to do. She would be lying though if she didn’t admit that she really wanted to just reach out and taste his lips. “Thanks for walking me home.” she finally said, deciding that she couldn’t risk making things awkward. 

He was just staring at her, hating that it was over. He knew how he felt, but wasn’t sure about how she felt. He pulled her in for a hug, holding her close, hoping that she would feel it through that. He felt her hand reach around to the back of his neck, just holding onto him, and still holding onto the plate. He just had to look down, just for a moment, see if she was looking at him too. He was just about to when he felt her hands release, slowly separating herself from him. 

“Night, Seb. See you soon?” she said, heading towards the door.

“Night, Kate. I hope so.” he said, watching her walk inside. He walked back home to find Abi and Sam, sitting on the stairs next to the house.

“So, what was that?” Sam asked Seb as he walked around the corner.

“What was what?” he asked back. 

“I don’t think you have ever walked us home.” Sam answered, with a laugh. “I’m an idiot. I’m sorry man, I didn’t even think that it was like that.” 

“Oh, are you figuring it out, finally?” Abi retorted. “Took you long enough.”

“What are you two going on about?” Sebastian said, sitting down next to them and pulling out a cigarette. 

Sam looked at him. “I get I was slow on the figuring it out, but are you really going to act like I’m that stupid? So, any progress? Details?”

“Nothing happened, shit head.” was all the answer Sam got from him. 

“Well, the next time you are trying to show the new girl your mountains, maybe let me know so I don’t come ruining your moment. Unless it really was nothing, and in that case you wouldn’t care if I asked her out.” Sam said innocently. 

“What the fuck, Sam? You want to ask her out?” Seb said angrily. 

“Not at all, but don’t give me bullshit answers again because you fell right into that one.” Sam said proudly. 

“I’m going inside to finish working. I’ll see you two tomorrow.” Sebastian said, getting up and throwing out his cigarette.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kate opened her door and Spencer came over, ready to be fed. She went through the motions, her head still spinning from her day with Sebastian. There was no denying she was attracted to him both physically and emotionally. There was something about him that stood out to her, something that just drew her into him. 

She also knew that she felt similarly towards Shane. Their experiences and moments have been so different, night and day, but both men had something to them that she wanted to know more about. Sebastian was like water to her, peaceful, understanding, his energy washing over her, but with Shane she was like a moth to a flame. She was so close to kissing Sebastian tonight, so close to closing that distance. She felt at home with him.

Shane, he was different. She craved him, the banter, the emotions overflowing. He pushed her buttons and challenged her, pushing her past her boundaries. 

She looked at Spencer, happily eating, wishing it could be that simple. “Spencer, how did this happen? I mean, it isn’t like either of them are interested in me, but how did I get here?” Spencer didn’t answer her, so she grabbed her book and headed to bed. “I guess I’ll have to deal with it eventually but just not tonight.” she said curling up to read and sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, a girl has it tough. This was a legit struggle I had playing this game. Shane or Sebastian, Sebastian or Shane, why can't I have both, oh that's not how that works. I really like writing her with Seb, and I like writing her with Shane. And now that I gave Seb some attention that means we are going to have to hit Shane back up next time. Which I think is going to fall right around his birthday. His birthday will be the Saturday, and I have to write the Friday bar time, so yeah, expect the next couple to be pretty Shane heavy.
> 
> But for now, they had a pretty good day, didn't they? As always, thank you for reading!


	18. Cornflake Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That Saloon has a lot of drama attached to it.

Year 1 - Spring 19

The week went by in a blur, farming in the morning, followed by cleaning up and then dinner in the evening. Kate didn’t mind the routine, and having Spencer around really did make it feel less lonely. She had texted a bit with Abigail and Sebastian and they knew she would be showing up to the Saloon this evening. She was just about to jump in the shower to get ready when she heard her phone making noise.

“Hello?” Kate answered her phone.

“Hey, It’s Shane.”

“Hey, Shane! What’s up?” She was surprised to be getting a call from him. She was usually surprised whenever her phone rang; most people just texted and half the time she forgot her phone was actually a phone.

“I was just wondering if you were going to be at the bar tonight? If so, I could swing by and walk with you. You know, neighborly and friendly like.” Shane asked her.

“Actually, yeah, I am heading there tonight. You want to swing by in around an hour? I was just about to jump into the shower.” 

“Sounds good. See you then.” he said, letting her get back to her shower. 

Kate took her shower and exactly one hour later Shane knocked on her door. She said goodbye to Spencer and headed out.

“You look nice tonight.” Shane told her when she came down the stairs.

“Shane… are you paying me a compliment?” she smiled at him.

“Just making conversation. Don’t get too carried away.” he told her, giving her a smirk. He put his hands in his pockets, looking down at the ground as he walked.

“I would never. Well, you also look nice yourself. Any big plans for tonight or this weekend?” she asked him. He did look nice. He also smelled nice, like earth and woods, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.

“Oh, no. Just will probably do my normal thing, hang out at the bar. Weekend plans are pretty boring. My birthday is tomorrow, so I’m not working. I refuse to work at Joja Mart on my birthday but other than that nothing. Probably just do dinner or something with Marnie and Jas.”   
She stopped walking and looked at him. “Tomorrow is your birthday?” 

“Yeah? It’s not a big deal.” he shrugged. He never really did much for his birthday, though in the city he would usually head over to Jason and Amy’s for dinner. Before Jas, they would usually all hit the clubs, but after Jas, Amy would usually push the guys out the door while she stayed in. Clubs were sorely lacking in Stardew Valley, and it wasn’t worth the hours to get into town and try to get back for the next day, plus it just wouldn’t feel the same without Jason.

“Well, are you having a party?” Kate loved birthdays. It was the one day a year that was just for celebrating that one person. Her mom would always hang balloons, make a special dinner, get a cake. 

“No, I don’t want a party, and even if I did want one, who would come?” Shane knew he didn’t go far out of his way to make friends, well until Kate showed up. She was the exception. 

“Maybe no one has told you for a bit, but you really aren’t that bad of a guy. You certainly aren’t as scary as what you try to make yourself out to be.” 

“Maybe I am and you are just too pure to see it.” he told her, starting to walk again. She jogged to catch up, bumping into him purposely. 

“Can’t convince me. You are actually quite nice.” she said playfully. This was why she knew she wasn’t able to get him out of her head. They played so well off each other when he wasn’t being snarky. 

They reached the saloon and he put his hand on the door, not opening it just yet, just holding it. “Maybe I don’t want to be nice. Don’t girls usually like the bad boys, the ones that are clearly not good for them?” he asked her, winking playfully. 

She paused before answering, looking at him intensely while she did it. “Some do.” she finally said. Shane released the door, coming closer to her, leaving some space, but not much.

“But what do you like, Kate? What kind of man turns your head? Is it the overly nice, people pleasing boy? Is it the sad boys who you want to try to make happy? Or is it the angry man who you want to save?” his eyes travelled down her face, stopping at her lips, continuing down.

Kate didn’t have a chance to answer because just then Jodi came around the corner. Kate knew that was Sam’s mom, but she had never spoken to her very much.

“Hey guys!” she greeted, mostly looking at Kate. Kate knew her face must be beet red, she could feel the flush in her cheeks. 

“Hi there, Jodi!” Kate said, putting some distance between her and Shane. Shane’s eyes never left her, even as she spoke to Jodi. 

“You guys coming in?” she asked, opening the door, holding it wide.

“Yes, we are.” Kate answered, heading in after Jodi. She saw Shane follow her as she was walking and they headed up to the bar. Emily greeted them, handing Shane a beer, then looking at Kate. 

“Beer?” she asked her before pouring. 

“Yeah, that would be great. And can I get two shots of tequila?” she asked Emily. “Salt and lime too please.”

Emily handed her the beer and then came back with the two shots. Kate handed one to Shane, keeping one for herself. Shane watched as she licked the space between her thumb and pointer finger, putting salt on it, then handing him the salt as well. He followed suit, then picked up the shot. “To birthdays. Consider it an early gift.” Kate told him, taking her shot.

He finished his shot and placed the shot glass on the bar. “To birthdays. I’m sure you are going to go hang with them soon, but thanks for letting me walk with you. Come say hi later if you have time.”

Kate decided she should go say hi to the group. It was a small place and they knew she was there. Part of her wanted to stay with Shane, didn’t want to leave him alone. She knew there was more there, something she saw in him. The other part of her knew Sebastian was waiting; she could feel his gaze on her from the moment she walked in. “I’ll be back.” she told Shane, and she knew that she would be. She couldn’t even pretend that she wouldn’t be.

She came upon her three friends, saying hello to all of them before sitting down with Abi, just as she usually did. She listened to Sam tell Sebastian once again that this week would be the week. In it’s own way it started to feel a bit like it was the same every week, the same comments. Which was okay, this was their routine. 

“Did you know tomorrow was Shane’s birthday?” Kate asked Abi while the boys were playing. 

“Yeah, of course.” she said. “It’s on the calendar right outside the store.”

“There is a calendar?” Kate hadn’t seen the calendar and had no idea what Abi was talking about.

“Yes, on the bulletin board. Speaking of which, we will need to add your birthday. When is it?”

“I’ll have to check it out. My birthday is in the summer, on the 14th.” Kate answered, looking over at Shane. He smiled at her, waving her over to him. She told Abi to hold on and walked over to Shane.

He handed her a shot when she got over to them. “Think your boyfriend will mind if I steal you for a shot?”

“My boyfriend?” Kate asked, taking the shot from him. “Who is my boyfriend?”

“I imagine it’s the one who never stops looking at you whenever you are talking to me.” 

Kate turned around and saw Sebastian looking at them but she wasn’t able to make out the expression. “Seb isn’t my boyfriend.” 

“Does he know that?” Shane said, smiling at the news that she wasn’t with Sebastian. After the Egg Festival he kinda figured something may be going on there, and there has been some talk around the town about how he was actually seen outside the other day, hanging out with Kate.

“I’m pretty sure that he isn’t into me like that. We are just friends.” she said, slightly defensively. 

“Okay, you guys are just friends. Did you leave someone behind in the city?” he asked her, finishing his beer and motioning for another one.

“Nope. No one is pining for me back in Zuzu.” she answered, also finishing her beer. “I have the next two.” she said to Shane, getting Gus’s attention. Gus handed them two more beers and she asked him to send over a pizza to her friends. 

“You know, I find that hard to believe. You probably left a trail of broken hearts when you left. Some poor guy is probably sitting at his window, watching the stars, wondering where you are.” he teased.

“You want to find him and give him my number? This seems like a pick up line.” she laughed. He did not laugh. She stood there for a moment, heat rising once again to her face. “I’m gonna go put something on in the jukebox. I feel like this song has been playing for an hour or two.” She walked over towards the jukebox, making small talk along the way. She spotted Elliott in the corner and waved at him. He beckoned her over to where he was with Leah.

“Girl, what have you been up to?” he asked her, patting the chair next to him. Kate sat quickly, but told him she couldn’t stay too long. “Oh, I bet you can’t.” he said laughing.

“What?” she asked him, totally unaware of how small towns worked.

“Well, judging from tonight you have the pick of two of the most elusive bachelors here in Stardew.” he told her, Leah smiling and nodding at her as well.

“We are just friends. That seems to be such a foreign concept here.” she said, smirking. “Aren’t you and Leah friends?” she said, turning the tables on them. She saw how red they both got and she just nodded. “I’m going to play some music.”

She went to the jukebox and found it sorely lacking for anything she would actually want to hear. She leaned against it, studying the options, trying to find at least one familiar song to play. She saw an arm go over her and start flipping through the tracks. She didn’t move, not sure what direction she could go in since he was behind her. By the earthy woodsy scent, she knew it was Shane there.

“This one is the most tolerable one.” he said, arm going underneath her arm and around her waist to punch in the selection. It was almost as if he was holding her against him. Kate couldn’t hear anything other than the blood rushing into her head. She couldn’t hear the talking but she felt the gazes. She thought of Sebastian, hoping he wouldn’t see it. She could feel the confliction rising with each moment. 

Though it felt like an eternity, it was only a few moments before he backed off, giving her enough space to turn around. The song wasn’t upbeat, but it was better than what had been playing. They went back to Shane’s spot against the wall, Kate grabbing her beer back. “You’re right, it’s more tolerable.”

“So, if you don’t have anyone back in Zuzu, and you aren’t dating the Emo King…” he started and that is when Kate noticed Sebastian coming over. 

“Shane.” he simply stated, not quite a greeting, acknowledging his presence. “Kate, I’m heading out for a break. Wanna come?” Kate nodded at him, turning to look at Shane. 

“I’ll be back in a bit.” she told him, following Sebastian out. She glanced over at Elliott’s table and saw him give her a thumbs up. She debated flipping him off but decided not to.

Sebastian leaned against the side of the bar, lighting his cigarette. “It’s quieter out here.”

“Yeah, and Yoba knows the music in there is awful.” she added.

“Shane sure seems to like talking to you.” Inhale, exhale, Kate watched the smoke coming lazily out of his mouth. She could feel her head swimming, inhibitions dropping. A danger alarm was going off in her head, trying to keep her from saying or doing anything stupid.

“Yeah, he’s alright enough. I don’t think he’s as bad as he wants people to think he is.” she answered, still watching his silhouette. Inhale, exhale, lips parted just a little. She needed to stop looking at his lips. “How’s your game going? Sam even come close yet?” 

Sebastian looked at her and gave a little laugh. “No. Maybe one day, but not today.” 

They stood together, taking in the silence. Sebastian moved closer to Kate, still putting some distance between them. “You know the town will talk if you spend a lot of time with him. They’ll think something is going on.”

“Yeah, Elliott said the same thing.” Kate turned to look at Sebastian, “But one could say the same thing if I am around you a lot too, no?”

“Sure, but I don’t care what the town thinks.” he inhaled again, slowly exhaling. She was going to lose her mind soon. The alarm was going off so loud as she moved a little closer.

“I get the vibe from Shane that he doesn’t care either.” she said, wondering what it would be like to just touch his face and pull him in. “What the hell is wrong with me?” she asked herself, pulling away and putting some distance between them again. She was so close to just doing it, just kissing him. The buzz was not helping. She straightened herself up against the wall, scared she might stumble. Two tequila shots and a few beers were not to be trusted when debating whether or not you should kiss someone. 

Sebastian didn’t seem to notice her internal struggle and moved away from the wall and stood right in front of her. “Should I be worried if the town starts talking about you and Shane?” 

Kate stood up straighter, leaning in towards him so she could speak softer. “Why would you worry?”

He didn’t answer her, but moved closer towards her, facing her. The alarm was on full blast now, drowning out everything else, but she ignored it as she started to lean into him as well. Maybe the answers she was looking for weren't words at all. Maybe tequila and beer were the best things for judgement calls. “Fuck it.” she thought, tired of the inner conflict.

“Hey Sebastian, hey Kate.” they heard from behind them. Instead of kissing Sebastian, Kate ended up looking around him and seeing Clint. She had seen him a few times around but he was someone else she hadn’t really spoken to yet. “I meant to stop over and introduce myself last week, but I got sidetracked.” he said.

“Every. Fucking. Time.” she heard Sebastian say under his breath. 

“Oh, that’s okay. I can understand that; I find the days are just starting to fly by lately.” Kate told the man.  
“Well, I do blacksmithing here. If you ever want to upgrade your farm tools, I am your guy. I have a fair rate and it can be even fairer if you supply the materials.” Clint offered. 

“That sounds great. I will try to stop over next week to chat.” 

“Okay, well you kids have fun.” he said as he entered the saloon, leaving them alone again, but that moment was broken.

“Wanna head back in?” she asked him. He just nodded and they headed back in to join the others.

It wasn’t too much longer before they were calling it a night. They were grabbing their things and Kate said goodnight to them all. 

“You staying?” Abi asked her while she put her hoodie on to head home.

“Yeah, just for a bit longer.” Kate had promised Shane she would be back and she didn’t want to leave without fulfilling it.

“Want us to stick around?” Sam offered. He gave Sebastian a look, knowing he would stay if Kate said yes.

“Nah, you guys head on out. I will talk to you tomorrow.” she said, specifically looking at Sebastian as she answered.

Abi gave her a quick hug. “Go gentle on him.” she whispered quickly before stepping back. Kate looked at her quizzically, not sure who she was referencing. Sam also gave her a quick hug before heading out, leaving Sebastian and her, alone by the pool table.

“You sure you are good?” he asked her one more time. Kate nodded and Sebastian drew her in for a hug. “Text me when you get home.” he whispered into her ear and she melted. Before she could stop herself she kissed him on the cheek, really close to his ear. It was soft, barely noticeable, but it was something she had to do.

“I will.” was her response. Sebastian squeezed her once before letting her go and heading out.

Kate headed back over to where Shane was, getting one last beer. She knew she should just stop since she was clearly getting in over her head.

“Welcome back.” he told her, grabbing another beer for himself. He noticed her parting with Sebastian and though he was insanely jealous, he was not going to let that show. He remembered what happened last week when he did.

“Thanks, figured I would have one last beer before I headed out for the night.” she told him. 

“That’s fine, I can walk you home.” he suggested.

“You don’t have to do that.” She knew it was probably early for him to be heading out and she didn’t want him to do that just for her.

“I want to, so I will.” he said, closing the subject. They finished their beers and headed out together, walking towards her house. “So, you ever going to give me the answer?” he asked as they got closer.

“Hmm? Answer to what?” Kate asked him, not knowing what he meant.

“What type of man turns your head. What are you looking for out in the world?” he asked as they reached the porch.

“I thought that was rhetorical.” she stated, her heartbeats speeding up.

“I don’t ask rhetorical questions, Kate.” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. “I only ask questions I want the answers to.”

She was barely breathing. She wasn’t sure what was happening or how she even got into this situation. “Well, it isn’t the people pleaser. That would get boring fast.”

“So, one down. Two to go.” He put his hand under her chin, lifting her head upwards. She stared into his eyes, her arms going around his waist on their own. “Not yet, though. I actually will want an answer to that question, but it’s not right now. You win tonight, Kate.”

“Do I?” she said, her voice getting lower. She felt his body tense when she had wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I think you do but by default.” his fingers traced the side of her face. “I don’t hand out the wins easily. I think if I really want to know though, I need to wait until maybe alcohol isn’t part of the decision making process. I’m tempted though, Kate. So fucking tempted.” He backed away from her then, letting her head clear slightly. “You are safely home, mostly safely. I’m gonna head home. You get some rest.” 

“Wait, you want to come in?” Kate said, not wanting him to leave, not wanting to be alone.

“I do. Trust me, I really fucking want to, because I know what happens if I walk through that door. I wouldn’t be able to even stop myself from trying. Two years, I have been here for two years, and not once have I had this issue. I just don’t want to fuck this up. So, no, you go in. The next time you ask me to come in, I can’t promise I will say no. So don’t ask me again unless you mean it.” He started to walk away, waving to her as he left.

“Shane, wait!” Kate called out to him. He stopped walking and turned around. “Happy early birthday. Maybe I will see you tomorrow?” 

He looked at her, standing at her stairs, looking so alone. He saw it in her eyes, he knew it so well. “Fuck it, damn it.” he growled, picking up his pace, heading back to her. He wrapped his arm around her, the other finding her face, lifting it to his. He felt her gasp as his lips found hers, soft, beer and tequila, loneliness. He felt her slide into him, her lips opening, just a little, allowing him to deepen the kiss. 

Kate wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand going up the nape of his neck, getting lost in his violet hair. His mouth was soft but possessive; she could feel his questions in his kiss. She was lost in him, all of him. 

He broke away from her, kissing her cheek before heading back down the path. “Maybe you will see me tomorrow.” he called out before disappearing.

Kate stood on her porch for about ten minutes. She had her phone in her hand, opening up her texts with Sebastian. She had to tell him she was home, but she felt so guilty. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong; she wasn’t committed to either one, and honestly, she wasn’t even sure what Sebastian was thinking when it came to her. She gave him a quick text before heading in, then turned her phone off, placing it on the counter. 

She could feel the effects of spending the night drinking now. She went into the bathroom, going through her ritual of face cleaning and teeth brushing. Spencer was already on the bed when she came out, so she just crawled into bed with him, her fingers on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We did it! We got some sort of physical action going on. Ugh, this kills me because once we start down this path it's hard to come back from it, but really who hasn't been in the boat where maybe you drink a bit too much and make questionable decisions?
> 
> My girl though, and my boys. Sebastian won't like this at all. Shane will like that Sebastian won't like it. How much does she really need to say since she isn't officially dating either? So many questions and not enough answers in this chapter.
> 
> This is also not where her first Stardew kiss was going to come, but we are already over 30k words in and it still hasn't happened. Can we have a moment of silence for Sebastian, who was really shooting his best shot, and just keeps getting interrupted? Will he be able to actually make a move without someone coming in? It'll happen, so Sebby stans, don't worry, you will get your chapter too.


	19. Elastic Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane's birthday - so primarily a Shane chapter

Year 1 - Spring 20

Kate woke up feeling like she had the desert in her mouth. She stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom, and brushed her teeth. She walked into the kitchen, started some coffee, and sat at the table with her head in her hands.

“I deserve this.” she said to Spencer who came to sit at her feet. She was trying to piece together the night before but her head was throbbing. “I’ll think about it after coffee.” she stated to the dog, and grabbed her phone. “Huh, I didn’t even charge it.”

She turned it on and about a minute later it was making all sorts of noises. “Why do I keep it so loud?” she asked, hitting buttons to make it stop. She had texts from Sebastian and Abi, both inquiring if she was okay, and one from Shane.

“Fuck. Shane.” she said, not looking at the text. As soon as she saw his name memories came flooding in. The jukebox, the walk, her asking him to stay, him declining, the kiss. The. Kiss. She put her head down on the table and audibly groaned. “What did I do?”

She finally got the courage to look at the text from Shane. _Hey, remember to drink some water, or at least keep some by the bed. Also make sure you have some medicine for the inevitable headache. Don’t overthink things, it’s fine. Can you tell it isn’t my first time at the rodeo? See you later, maybe._

A line of curse words went through her mind, but thankfully, not out of her lips. As much as she would like to tell all of her problems to Spencer, she didn’t think it wouldn’t count as still just talking to herself.

It was his birthday too. She would have to face him today at some point. “Ok, think. Brain, please, this one time.” Her brain did not answer and she realized she truly was on her own. She could text Abi, but somehow she wasn’t sure if that would be her best plan. She knew how close her and Sebastian were.

Sebastian. She wasn’t sure why she felt she needed to guard him from this, from what she did. They weren’t dating, they have never even spoken about dating. When she was with Sebastian though it did feel like it was more than simply friends. She felt a strong connection to him, and part of her really wanted to see where it could go. Which was the problem, because if she was being honest, she felt the same about Shane. This was a small town. There was no way that secrets can be kept here. Would it be worse if he found out from someone else?

She put her head back down on the table. She could not handle this all now with her head still pounding. Just then she heard a knocking at her door. “Oh no. What if it’s Sebastian? What if it’s Shane?” She knew she couldn’t ignore it so she went to the door.

Abi was standing there, bottle of water in hand. She took one look at her and sighed, coming in and pulling some medicine out of her bag. “Wow, you had a night.” Abi said to her, motioning to her to sit down.

Kate went over and poured coffee for the both of them. She brought the cup to Abi and sat down with her own. Abi handed her the medication and she took it gratefully. “Thank you, I needed this.”

“Yeah, I figured you may. You did quite a few shots and in my experience the next day is hell. I figured I would come bearing gifts and to see if you needed any help on the farm today.” Abi offered. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Yes, and No.” Kate said honestly. 

“Newsworthy?” Abi asked, feeling slightly worried. She knew Sebastian would be crushed if Kate ended up with Shane, but there was no denying that Kate and Shane shared a chemistry. It was pretty obvious, and not just to her. She heard her dad and Lewis talking about it this morning and that was part of the reason why she wanted to come over.

“Kinda.”

“Ok, drink some coffee and then we can have a proper chat. I’m gonna do the dishes.” 

“No, Abi, you don’t have to do that.” Kate exclaimed. 

“It’s fine. Trust me, you need the help right now.”

Kate drank her coffee, feeling herself becoming a little more alive. Abi finished up the dishes and headed back to the table. “Ok, ok,” Kate started, “but this stays between us.” Abi started to nod but Kate cut her off. “I mean it though. I know how close you are to Sebastian and Sam.”

“Girl code.” Abigail answered.

Kate filled her in on the night after they left and how it ended. She showed her Shane’s text from last night. She explained to her how she wasn’t sure what she was doing or how she was feeling. “So, let’s break it down. Why would you feel bad about what happened?” she asked Kate once she had stopped talking and put her head on the table.

“Well, because of…” Kate started but didn’t finish.

“Seb.” Abi finished for her. Kate just nodded. “So, you do like Seb?” she asked her and Kate nodded again. “But, you also like Shane.” Kate nodded a third time. Abi felt for the girl, she knew what it was like to have internal conflicts about someone. “Ok, we can work with this. Let’s talk about each one, tell me what you like.”

“Seb has a lot of the same interests I do. He likes reading, gaming, our conversations are amazing. He has this exterior that he shows off, but really, he’s sweet. I could look at him forever, I think. We just have this connection. But, we’ve never spoken about it. We have talked about so many things, but not that. So, I could be totally by myself in this and he could have zero interest in me.” 

Abi nodded, understanding what she meant. “Yeah, I don’t think you are alone there. I have known Sebastian for pretty much my whole life and he is different around you.” Abi didn’t want to tell her about Seb’s feelings fully since she didn’t feel that was her place. “And Shane?”

“Shane is the opposite. Not in the exterior way, they are actually pretty similar there. He challenges me. I feel like it’s a constant debate with him, which I love debating things. I can’t really explain what it is with him, it’s more like I can’t help but be drawn to him.” Kate finished, looking at the girl. “And then this happens. What am I even supposed to do?”

Abi just looked at her, unsure of what to say. She was so close with Sebastian, like siblings, but she really liked Kate and felt like their friendship is also important. It would be easy to swing over to the Sebastian side, but it wouldn’t be fair since she had that motive. “I think you should get to know them both. See which one you think you are more compatible with. You don’t have to make a decision right away, and you don’t owe anyone anything at this point. You and Shane shared a kiss. Ok. It isn’t like you slept with him, and even if you did, that’s your business. I mean, I would think differently if you were involved in an established relationship, but you aren’t. Now do you need to talk to both of them? Yes, I do think that you should. But it isn’t like you need to text Seb and tell him that you and Shane kissed right now. If something were to happen with Seb, and you both talk about your feelings, then sure. And Shane? Talk to him on a different day. See how it plays out today because who knows what he is thinking. I mean, it’s Shane.”

Kate looked at her friend gratefully. This was exactly what she needed. “Thank you, Abi. So, we all know my shit, but what about you? You and Seb aren’t a thing, I imagine you and Sam aren’t a thing.” Abi snorted at that. “Is there someone for you?”

“Yeah, there is. It’s a bit complicated, like yours, but not at all like yours.” Abi told her.

“Oh, so is it two guys?” Kate asked her, glad to have the focus off her.

“It’s one girl.” Abi replied honestly, a tinge of worry in her voice.

“Please don’t tell me Haley.” was all Kate said.

Abi just laughed. This was the only other person besides Sebastian and Sam that she ever told that she prefered females. She was so thankful that Kate didn’t push her out the door or think she was awful. She was so scared what people in the town would think of her. “Yoba, no. That would never happen.”

“You wanna talk about it?” Kate offered. “I’m great at advice, but shit at taking my own.”

“Aren’t we all. No, not now, but I will take you up on that offer one day.” Abi told her. “You seem more alert, let’s get to work on the farm.”

The two girls headed out and started working on watering and weeding. Abi took out some aggression breaking rocks and cutting trees while Kate spent time clearing out the area for the chicken coop she would hope to have built there soon. They both were lost in the work and didn’t realize how much time had passed until the sun started to go down.

“Oh shit, I didn’t even realize what time it was.” Abi said, dusting herself off. “I can almost see this as therapeutic; I still come over more often. I should head off though and help my dad with the store.”

“Thank you. It’s nice having a friend to talk to about things; it’s been a while.” Kate told her. 

Abi gave her a quick hug before leaving. “It’ll work out, Kate, I’m sure of it.”

Once Abi left Kate got back to work clearing out the land. She was pretty much almost done with it and was hoping at the start of Summer she would be able to have a coop built. She took a big drink of water, some of it spilling on her, and while she was wiping it off she heard a voice behind her.

“I hope you don’t always drink like that. It’s not that hard to keep it in your mouth, you know.” Shane said. 

Kate hadn’t heard him come up behind her so she jumped, spilling more of the water on her. She turned around slowly, facing him. “You’re lucky it’s your birthday or I would throw the rest of the water on you.”

He laughed, taking in all the work she had done. “Wow, you really have been working on getting this ready. I didn’t realize how serious about chickens you were.” 

“Well, before we get any further into the conversation, let me say happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Shane.” she looked at him and her breath stopped for a moment. He wasn’t wearing his normal Joja hoodie; he was just wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans that fit him perfectly. 

“You covered that last night, a few ways if my memory serves me correctly.” he said, his voice slightly lower. 

“I’m gonna get changed really quick, give me a moment.” she said, the first excuse she could think of to remove herself from the situation. She could feel herself getting warmer by the minute. Once inside, she dusted herself off, really wanting a shower, but not having enough time. She threw on a long skirt and a t-shirt and brushed her hair out, leaving it down. She made her way back outside, where Shane was playing with Spencer.

“I’m glad the dog worked out.” he told her. 

“He’s been great. I can’t imagine not having him around now.” she told him.

“Wanna go for a walk?” he asked her, holding out his hand. She nodded and put her hand in his. They left the farm and headed towards the ranch. She thought that may be where they were headed, but he went left instead of right, leading her to a lake with a dock. He had a six pack of beer there, waiting, and he sat at the edge, patting the spot next to him for her. She sat next to him and they watched the sun go down, drinking a beer.

“So, what did you do in the city?” he asked her after a long silence.

“I worked for Joja Corp in Commercial Accounts.” she answered. She saw him almost spit his beer out.

“No shit! I worked there too! Well, up until two years ago. I worked in data entry.”

“You know, there could have been times we passed each other in the halls, or in the cafe.” she told him.

“Nah, I don’t think so.” he said, sure of himself.

“What? How do you know that?” she asked.

“I would have remembered you.” 

“Oh, I don’t know, I blended in pretty well.” 

He reached out, putting some of her hair behind her ear. “I would have.”

“So, this what you normally do on your birthday?” she asked him, trying not to blush.

“Yeah. I come out here to talk to my friends, Jas’s parents.” he told her a bit about Jason and Amy, and how he came to be with Jas. Kate just let him talk, not knowing what to say and also figuring he just wanted to get it off his chest. 

He stayed silent after explaining and Kate touched his arm. “I’m really sorry, Shane. That must have been so hard.” They watched the stars together for a bit, looking at the constellations, Kate pointing them out for him. 

“Do you ever feel stuck? Like no matter how hard you try, you can never get out of the hole you’re in?” he asked softly.

“Sure I have. It’s how I ended up here.” Kate answered.

“Do you feel like you’ve broken out of it?”

“In some ways, yes. In others, no. I just try to roll with it, fix what I can, hope for the best.” she said truthfully. “I don’t think of it as something that will just go away because I changed my scenery.” 

“Don’t drink too much. You have something about you, you’ll have a great future. I guess it’s time.” he told her, patting her hand. 

“Time?” she asked, though she knew the answer.

“We’ve skirted around it enough, I think. Last night. I just want to say I’m sorry for kissing you. I knew you were drunk and I should have just left it at that.” he said, looking at the water.

“I am pretty sure you don’t get to take all of the blame. I kissed you back.”

“Yeah, you did, but still. I’m not going to tell you I’m not attracted to you, because I am. And I wanted to kiss you, pretty much from the first moment you snapped at me. That being said, I don’t want to be involved with anyone right now.”

“I didn’t know I was that bad of a kisser.” Kate joked, as she always did in uncomfortable situations.

Shane leaned over and next thing she knew she could feel Shane’s mouth on her neck, moving upward, kissing her until he got to her ear. “You aren’t. I would spend all night kissing you.”

Kate turned to face him and her lips found his waiting for hers. His hand found her waist and travelled up her body, reaching her face. They stayed like that for a few minutes, not caring about anything else in the world. Once the kiss was over, he backed away from her.

“Not what I was expecting to do. Fuck. Ok, really though. I want us to be friends and I can’t have a girlfriend. I don’t know what your expectations are, or what you are looking for, but I can guarantee you that I am not it.” 

“Why aren’t you it?” she asked him, her lips slightly swollen, her heart hurting at his words, even if she knew that those were the words she needed to hear.

“Too many reasons, Kate. Just trust me. If you are smart, take the out I am giving you. Here, take another beer.” he said, handing her another beer. He watched as she popped it open, drinking it in one shot. “A woman after my own heart.” he said, giving a soft laugh.

“I don’t know if I have ever been considered smart.” she told him, handing him the empty can. 

“Well, one of us will have to be. I’d rather it not be me, because I keep doing things like that, but I don’t want to do anything that I’ll regret or you’ll regret later. I meant what I said last night. I don’t know if I would be able to say no if you gave the green light, so I just want you to be very sure from here on out about what I am telling you. I’m not someone you can save, Kate. I don’t even think I want to be saved.” he said sadly.

“I understand what you are telling me. I may not agree with all of it, but I do think some of it rings true for me right now too. I can’t get into a relationship and things I need to figure out on my own as well. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve been thinking about you a lot. There is something about you that I can’t put my finger on but I feel different around you. I don’t want to save you, Shane. I just want to know you.” she told him while brushing his hair from his eyes. She leaned in to give him a quick kiss, a last one for maybe ever, but it was not quick. Once they connected, they were leaning into each other. As they were sitting on the dock and there was nothing behind her, she leaned back, laying flat on the dock, Shane positioning himself above her, mouths never leaving each other.

The last two beers fell into the water as they kissed, Kate’s legs knocking into them as she was settling underneath him. The splash broke the moment, the two of them just looking at each other. Kate started laughing, which made him smile and laugh as well.

“We are very bad examples of friends.” he told her, getting off from the top of her.

Kate just nodded, laughing, but her mind raced. She wasn’t sure how far that would have gone had she not knocked the beers into the water. She had to get a hold of herself or this was going to be way worse than it already was.

“Ok, we start now. Friends.” and held out her hand to him. He took it, bringing it to his mouth to kiss it. 

“Friends.” he said after her. They got up and walked to the clearing for Kate to head home and for Shane to head back to the ranch.

“I hope you had a good birthday.” Kate said as they stood to say goodbye. 

“It was good. Some parts better than others.” he said, winking at her.

“Friends...” she said, smiling at him.

“Absolutely. Thanks for understanding, Kate.” 

“No reason to thank me. You have your shit to figure out, I have my shit to figure out. I should thank you, really.” 

“I don’t want to think about who your reasons are, but I understand it all the same.” he said, more serious this time. “No reason to rush anything.” 

Kate nodded at him and said goodnight, heading back to her house. She wasn’t sure if tonight made things better or worse, but at least she knew that Shane wasn’t looking for anything. She didn’t even know if she was looking for anything, but it was good to have the confirmation from him. 

She found her phone in the house and went through her texts that she missed from the day. She had a couple from Abi, one thanking her again for the free therapy and the other just making sure that she was okay. 

There was one from Seb as well, letting her know that he was almost done with the book she lent him. She responded and told him that she could have the second one ready for him if he wanted to continue the series. He responded fairly quickly telling her that it would be great and he could pick it up tomorrow if that was okay. She told him to stop over any time and put her phone down.

She thought about Abi’s words, telling her to get to know them both. She thought about Shane’s words, basically that nothing would come out of it, no matter what her feelings were. She thought of Sebastian and the way he looked at her before Clint came over, interrupting them. She crawled into her bed, thoughts and memories swirling around her mind until sleep came to take her the rest of the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was his birthday so I had to focus it all on them, mostly. Which means of course that we get Seb next. I think the next chapter is going to be a Seb chapter also set on the 20th/21st (the first chapter that may encompass two days), and then from there, probably the flower dance. I have some serious fluff plans for that flower dance that came to me when I was going to sleep a few nights ago. Yes, I think these things out while I am going to sleep (I am that obsessed)
> 
> I know the last two chapters have been Shane heavy, and have included some kissing, but really Seb stans, don't worry, it's gonna be his turn soon. I just have to remember to dial it down a bit and not be all fluff. I know he's a sad, emo king, but he also has a really soft side. I just don't think he's ever had anyone to really show it to. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy and thank you for commenting and liking! It means the world to me and writing this has been such a stress relief for me. I am really happy that people are actually reading it!


	20. One Step Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian goes to Kate's and steps up his game

Year 1 - Spring 20/21 - Sebastian

Seb woke up and reached over to grab his phone. No new messages from Kate, just the one saying she had made it home okay. He checked the time and saw it was 1 PM. He got out of bed and jumped in the shower, hoping that would help wake him up.

He headed upstairs to grab some food and managed to avoid Demetrius’s judging looks, a solid win for him. His mom was in the kitchen making a sandwich and offered him half of it. He took the sandwich and sat down at the table with her.

“So, how was your night?” Robin asked while putting chips on her sandwich. 

“It was fine, pretty average.” he answered, taking a bite so he wouldn’t have to say anything else.

“Kate was hanging out a bit with Shane I saw.” she mentioned, watching to see how he would react.

“Yeah, she was.” 

“She left with him too.” she said, taking another bite.

“She can do what she wants, Mom. Just because she hangs out with us doesn’t mean she can’t hang out with other people.” he answered. “I have a feeling you are looking for something here, so you want to spill it? I don’t have much of this sandwich left and I’ll be going back downstairs once I am done.”

Robin just sighed, realizing she had been caught. “Well, you two have seemed pretty close lately. I thought maybe there would be something…”

“She’s a great girl. We’re friends. Don’t read into everything so much.” he snapped at her. He immediately felt bad for it; he knew his mom didn’t mean anything hurtful by it. “Look, I promise, if anything changes in that department, you’ll be the first to know.” 

She smiled at him, taking the last bite of her sandwich. “Nah, I’ll be second, maybe third. I am sure Abi will be first, then maybe Sam, but you may tell me before Sam.”

“Tell them what?” Maru said coming into the kitchen.

“Oh just when Sebby sells the new program he is working on.” Robin covered, knowing that Sebastian would not react well to his personal life being family discussion.

She nodded, grabbing the milk out of the fridge. “I’m sure it’ll be soon. You’re pretty great at that stuff.” Maru filled her glass and put the milk away. “Make sure you tell me too!” she said before leaving.

“You know, your sister really looks up to you.” Robin said, standing up to put her plate in the sink. Sebastian didn’t comment on that and got up, finishing his sandwich. “Will you see her today?” she asked before he could leave the kitchen.

“Probably not. I got things to do and I’m sure she does too.” 

“Well, don’t stay cooped up in there all day. When I first moved here I spent a lot of time alone, with you. I really looked forward to visits from people, especially one in particular.” 

“Mom, I’m not going to camp out on her porch. It isn’t even like I haven’t seen her in a week. I literally just saw her last night.” he explained, grabbing a water bottle and heading back to his room.

He sat at his computer desk, turning it on and waited for it to boot up. He was grateful that somehow this place seemed to have decent internet. His mind went to the night before, how close he was to kissing her, before Clint came over. “Was I even ready for that?” he thought to himself. If she kissed him back, what would happen? If she didn’t, well that would have been worse. He wasn’t even sure if she actually kissed him on the cheek or if he imagined it. 

And Shane. She stayed there with him. That bothered him way more than he was going to let on. He could see that Shane was interested in her. He felt like Shane was almost challenging him last night. The jukebox shit? He saw Shane look right at him before he went over there, giving him a smirk. But was she interested in him? It wasn’t as if she pushed him away at the jukebox. Outside on the smoke break he felt more confident but then she decided to stay with him there, and then left with him.

He picked up his phone, hoping to see something, but there wasn’t anything there. He decided to push it out of his mind so he could actually do some work. He got lost in the code, in the music he was listening too. Before he knew it it was approaching 5PM and he had gotten farther than he thought he would. He knew his mom would be calling for dinner soon, so decided to save his work and quit. 

His phone chimed and he jumped to grab it. It wasn’t Kate but Abi.

_Abi - Yo, you busy? I need to come see you._

_Seb - Just finishing up. Come on over._

Abi usually didn’t announce she was on her way over, usually she just popped in. Sebastian grabbed Red Rising and sat on his bed, reading before Abi burst in. He really was enjoying the book and wanted to finish it soon, so he would be able to talk about it with Kate. He got about 10 pages in before Abi burst through the door.

“Hey. We have to talk.” she said to him, a little breathless from rushing over.

“You clearly have a lot to say, so go ahead.” He put the book down, a little nervous since whatever it was seemed important.

“I spent the day with Kate helping her around the farm. I’m not going to go into details, because girl code, but you need to step your game up.” she said, sitting at the table in the room.

“What? My game? What the hell are you even talking about?” he asked her, annoyed now.

“Seb, I’ve known you for how long? Don’t bullshit me here, especially when I am trying to help you. I love you like a brother, in a lot of ways you are my brother. So really, step your shit up or he’s getting the girl.”

Sebastian sighed, putting his head in her hands. “Is it bad?”

Abi looked at him for a minute or so, trying to figure out how much she could tell him without breaking her trust with Kate. “It isn’t great. It isn’t the worst thing by far, but I would say not great. You just have to put in some work here, Seb. It isn’t going to just fall in your lap and trust me when I tell you that someone else is clocking in right now.”

“Well, I’m not going to get in her way if she wants someone else.” he said, getting defensive. 

“Put that wall down, shit head.” Abi scolded. “Look, I know how this goes. Remember when we got shipped off to high school, and you spent the entire year pining after Allison, and didn’t do or say anything? Then she started dating Matt? I know for a fact that she was into you but thought you had no interest in her because you barely even spoke to her.” 

“It isn’t that easy.” he told the girl.

“No, it usually isn’t. Being easy isn’t a requirement in these cases. You have to put yourself out there, and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, but at least you know that you actually tried.”

Sebastian sighed, knowing she was right. “It isn’t game over?” he asked her, once more to be sure.

“Not by a long shot. You are still in it. I can’t date her for you, though I thought about it for a minute when I first saw her. Then you came along and ruined my chances.” she teased. “Ok, I have to head home, but take this seriously, Seb.”

After Abi left, he sat on his bed, not bothering to pick up the book. He was bothered by her words, especially her hinting that something may have happened between her and Shane. He heard his mom call him up for dinner and he went up, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do at that moment.

He came back down and picked up his phone. He decided he would text her and let her know that he was almost done with the book. She didn’t respond right away so he put his phone in his pocket and headed over to the lake. 

He pulled out his cigarettes, lighting one and leaned on the tree. He didn’t even notice Linus fishing until he called out to him. 

“Hey Linus.” Sebastian said as he went over. “I didn’t even see you there.”

“Yeah, most don’t. Will you be seeing Miss Kate soon?” he asked him, pulling in a fish.

“I’m not sure, but maybe tomorrow.” he answered.

“Would you be able to drop this in her mailbox if you do?” he asked, reaching into his pockets and handing Sebastian an envelope. “She’s a nice girl, isn’t she? I was wary at first, but she means well, I think.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything at first, he just smoked his cigarette. “Yeah, I guess she is.” he said finally.

“I know a lot about people. I watch them all time and have been to many places; it’s easy to watch people when they never pay attention to you. She’s a good one. Well, you have a good night. I’m going to make my dinner.” Linus said, picking up his fish and headed up his path.

When he got back he put the envelope on his desk. Still no message back from Kate. He picked up the book again and started reading. A few minutes later he heard his phone noise and picked it up. She had responded, excited he was almost done and offering the second book. He smiled, glad to see her response, and sent another text saying he could pick it up tomorrow.

He headed to bed, just wanting the hours to pass so he would be able to see her.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning he got up and decided to take a quick shower and head over to her place. He let his mom know he’d be out for a bit and asked if she needed him to pick anything up while he was out. She asked him to pick up some milk and eggs from Pierre’s, handing him some cash. 

He set out, taking the path to her house, and found a dandelion on the road. He picked it and found another one a little farther down. He knocked on her door and waited for her to open it. He heard a “Come in.” and he opened the door. He was immediately greeted by Spencer, who was right behind it. He made a note to get some dog treats so he could give him one the next time he was here.

“Morning.” she said, making coffee. “Want some coffee?”

“That would be great.” he answered. “I come bearing gifts.” She turned around to him and he was so struck by how beautiful he found her, even in the morning, making coffee. He handed her the envelope and the flowers. “The letter is from Linus, the weeds are from me.”

She laughed and reached for a glass to put the dandelions in. “I love them. They really are pretty weeds. And you can cook with them, but I won’t eat these ones.” She read the letter and smiled. “Linus is really a great guy. He sent me a recipe to use for when I actually catch a fish. And I don’t even have to cook it.”

“Wait, did he send you a sashimi recipe?” he asked her and she nodded. “I had no idea he knew how to make it. That’s one of my favorite things.”

Kate stuck her tongue out at him. “Maybe if you are nice, I’ll make you some with the first fish I catch.”

“I’ll always be nice to you.” he said seriously. They looked at each other for a moment before Kate turned back to the coffee, grabbing two mugs. She handed him the coffee and their hands touched for a moment. “What did you do last night?” he asked her, trying to make conversation.

Kate looked uncomfortable for a moment then cleared her throat. “Well, Abi was here, she helped me around the farm and saved my life with some meds and water. Clearly I haven’t learned my drinking threshold yet. Then Shane came over and we went for a walk. It was his birthday yesterday.”

Sebastian almost wished he didn’t ask her but went on. “Ah, yeah, it was on the calendar.” he said, drinking his coffee.

“Yeah, so that was pretty much it. How bout you?”

“Oh, nothing much. Did some work and some reading. It was pretty uneventful. Usually today we would game but Sam’s mom needed him to help with some things tonight, so we are meeting next Sunday. Which you should come to.” 

She picked up her phone, typing some things on it and then showing him. She had put it in her calendar on her phone and set an alert. “Done.” she told him.

“I’ll drop off some reading stuff this week for you to read up on the class.” he offered. “So, what are your plans for today?”

“Well, I was going to read for a bit, maybe try some fishing again. I really want to catch a fish.” Kate got up to grab some coffee and took his mug as well.

“Now I really want you to catch a fish too.” he told her, accepting the new cup of coffee.

“The Flower Dance is this week, right?” she asked him. He groaned, drinking his coffee.

“Yeah, don’t remind me.” he told her, not wanting to talk about it. 

“Why do you hate it so much?” she asked him, curious about why he would be so against it.

“I’m just not so great with social settings. Plus, they have us dress up and do this choreographed dance. I piss Haley off every year because I don’t go to practices but the dance hasn’t changed ever. So, yeah, just not a fan.” he explained.

“I bet it’s probably really pretty. And I am sure you look great dressed up! Abigail is lucky to have you as a dance partner.” 

“I don’t know if she would think that.” he told her, smiling. “I’m pretty bad at these things.”

Kate got up and grabbed the next book in the series from her bookshelf to give to him. “Here, before I forget.” she said as she gave him the book. “There is nothing worse than finishing a book and not having the next one ready to go.” 

He took the book from her, thanking her. He saw she had some dvds set up and went over to take a look. “How was Battlestar Galactica?”

Kate gasped. “You, a self-proclaimed sci-fi nerd has never seen Battlestar Galactica?”

“Can’t say I have. TV is pretty limited here, so I haven’t had the chance.” he explained.

“What? Do you have plans today? Can you give me like three hours of your time so we can watch the first episode?” she asked him excitedly. 

“Now? Yeah. I have to pick up some things for my mom, but it isn’t an immediate need. I’ll just text her really quick. Wait did you say the first episode is three hours?” He picked up his phone letting his mom know he would be a few hours before he was back with her stuff.

Kate ran over, grabbing the box set in one hand, her coffee in the other. “Well, yeah, but it’s the miniseries they did to launch it. After that it is normal length episodes.” She motioned for Sebastian to get on the couch while she put in the disc. She came and sat next to him, holding the remote. “Are you ready? This is the moment you have been waiting for.” she told him, her eyes sparkling. 

“I have been waiting for this moment.” he told her as she hit play. He felt her sitting next to him, their legs touching. His arms were just by his side. He heard Abi’s voice telling him to step up his game, so he put his arm around her as it started. She didn’t move away, she leaned into him, putting her head on his shoulder. 

Three hours later it was over. “Holy shit,” he said as the credits rolled, “that was amazing.” 

“I know! And it gets so much crazier. You have to promise to watch all of it with me. We can have Battlestar nights.”

“That would be great. We can work out what nights we want to put aside. I should get going though so I can bring my mom her milk and eggs.” He really didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay here, his arm around her, watching Battlestar. 

“Ok, we’ll text later. Thanks for visiting, Seb.” she told him, getting up to walk him to the door.

“Thanks for forcing me to watch Battlestar.” he said jokingly. He left and started on his way to Pierre’s, needing to speak to Abi. He hoped she was in the store when he got there. He was in luck, as he saw her stocking shelves when he walked in.

“Hey, Abi. I need a favor.” he told her when he saw her. “Don’t laugh, but tell me if you think it’s dumb.” Abi looked up at him, waiting for him to continue before she agreed. “I have an idea…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I love Battlestar. The fact that Seb is a sci-fi nerd makes me happy since it gives me an opportunity to use BSG.
> 
> Oh, Seb. How can you not love him? I am so excited because next chapter is going to be the Flower Dance. Now in my play through I didn't get to dance with anyone and just stood awkwardly on the side. Will that happen here? I don't know. But I think that chances are good that she ends up dancing with someone by then end.


	21. I Will Possess Your Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FLOWER DANCE - It's all about to start getting DRAMA up in here.

Year 1 - Spring 24 - Flower Dance

Kate woke up at 7 AM still exhausted from the day before. She had learned on big days in the town nothing is open, so she had to make sure that she had everything done and shopped for. She had worked pretty hard yesterday and so she granted herself an extra hour.

She had her coffee while she made her breakfast. She would have enough time to give the crops a watering before she left. She knew the event started at 9, but she didn’t expect to get there until 10 or so. She had heard that the actual dance wasn’t until the afternoon so she wouldn’t miss it. She headed out to water her crops and noticed a package on her porch.

It was a box, but inside the box was a combination of daffodils and tulips. She saw an envelope on top and opened it.

_For today. - Seb_

The flowers were beautiful and she couldn’t help but smile. She knew right away what she wanted to do with them but first she had to take care of the farm. She quickly watered the crops, grabbed the box, and headed inside. She showered and found a spring dress that would match the flowers and began weaving them into a crown. She loved making flower crowns with her mother, and the two had spent a lot of time doing that growing up. Spencer bounced around her while she worked and in about an hour she had a crown to go with her dress. 

She decided to head down to Cindersnap; it was later than she wanted, almost 12. Spencer was happily taking a nap on the front porch so she left some food and water on the porch for him. She was a little nervous, not knowing what to expect, and dances not really being her thing. She couldn’t help but think of the last time she had gone to a dance but reminded herself that this was not the same.

She reached the clearing and noticed right away that it was decorated. She saw colorful flags leading the way to the place where everyone was. The first one she saw was Pierre, who was running a little booth. “Good morning, Kate!” he greeted, calling her over. “Welcome to your first flower dance!” 

“Thank you! Any special seeds today?” she asked him, quickly looking around to see where everyone was.

“Sadly, no. Pretty much at this time I am just stocking up for the start of summer crops. I have a few nice flowers and a scarecrow for your farm if you are interested.” he told her. 

“I think I will wander for a bit, but don’t work too hard, Pierre! You should enjoy the day too!” 

“Oh, I will! You have a nice time, Kate.” he said, going back to his booth. She said hello to Caroline and Emily, stopping to chat with them for a moment before heading off. She noticed the table set up. Shane was there and on the other side was Abigail, Sebastian, and Sam. Abigail waved over to her and Shane turned around, making eye contact. He started towards her as soon as he saw her and she could see Abi turn around to get Sam and Sebastian’s attention. 

“Wow, you look really nice today.” Shane said when he reached her, giving her a look from head to toe. She could feel herself blush but tried to hide it. 

“Thank you, Shane. It’s really nice here, the decorations are great.” she said, for once feeling at a loss for words.

“Yeah, the town makes a big deal out of it. I’d skip it, but there’s food, and it was worth it to see you in a dress.” he told her. Just then Jas ran over to them, followed by Vincent, to say hello. 

“You look so pretty today!” the little girl told her. “I love your crown!” 

“Thank you! I learned how to do it when I was your age. If you’d like, I can show you how to do it sometime.” Kate offered, bending down to speak to her.

“That would be great! I am always finding flowers around town.” Jas told her. “Though Uncle Shane told me I couldn’t pick flowers out of people’s gardens.” she pouted.

“I’ll tell you what. I can set up a little garden on my farm with lots of flowers, and you can pick them whenever you’d like.” Kate said while taking off the crown and putting it on Jas’s head for a moment. “We can definitely make you one of these.” 

Jas modeled it for a little before handing it back to Kate. Vincent clearly wanted to run around some more and she was going to go back to playing with him.

“Be careful, she’ll hold you to it.” Shane said as soon as the two kids laughed. 

“It’s okay, I meant it. So who are you dancing with today? I am sure you were also roped into the big dance.” 

“Emily. We don’t really get a choice. I’d rather not dance.”

“Yeah, I hear that from a lot of the guys.” Kate laughed. “I’m going to go say hi to some others before things kick off. I’ll see you later?”

“I’m sure you will. Small town and all.” he answered.

Kate wanted to run over to Abigail, Sam, and Sebastian, but first she had to say hi to one other person. She noticed Linus was hanging out by himself so she went over to him to thank him for the recipe.

“Hi there, Linus! Thank you so much for the recipe! I wanted to thank you in person for the gift but I haven’t had a moment to run over there. I promise I will put it to good use.” she said, taking her crown off and plucking a flower out of the back. “This is for you.” 

“I can’t remember the last time someone handed me a flower.” he said, looking at it in his hand. “Thank you.” 

“I’ll be over to speak to you later! I need to go say hello to some others but I wanted you to know I really appreciate your gift.” 

“It was my pleasure, Miss Kate.” he said, putting the flower on his shirt.

She finally was able to head over to the group, Shane still at the other side of the table, eyes never leaving her. Abigail was the first to jump at her, telling her how pretty she looked. She thanked her, then turned to Sebastian.

“Thank you, these are lovely.” she told him, giving him a hug. “It was such a nice surprise.” She saw his cheeks go red as he hugged her back. 

“It’s okay. I thought you would like them.”

“So, what do we do here?” she asked them, taking in the view. 

“Nothing, really.” Sam answered. “We all just sort of stand around until the dance and then after that it’s like a huge picnic.”

Abi then disappeared for a bit, Kate heading over to Haley. She could see them talking and Haley looking quite upset. The girls seemed to be in a heated conversation. “What’s going on there?” she questioned the boys.

“Couldn’t tell you.” said Sam, watching with interest. “Abi usually doesn’t talk to Haley. She must be stirring the pot for the sake of excitement.” Sebastian stayed quiet, not answering. 

Lewis came over to the group to say hello to Kate and welcome her to her first Stardew Flower Dance.

“Your grandfather loved this day. He would always give the girls flowers and try to get them to dance with him.” he told her.

“I can see that.” Kate said laughing. “He loved nothing more than to dance.” She remembered all the nights where he would play music when she was there in the summers and they would dance together. “He would teach me all the dances he knew and tell me that it was the oldest language.” She missed him a lot in that moment, remembering all the things he loved and being here, in Stardew. 

Abi came back to the group then and she noticed her nod at Sebastian. Kate turned around and found the girl glaring at her, though she didn’t know why. She could see that she started to walk towards them but was headed off by Alex, who took her somewhere to the side to talk to her.

Sebastian looked at his watch, noticing the time. “Hey, aren’t we going to start soon?” Kate realized Sebastian had seemed a little off today and she chalked it up to just hating this event. 

Lewis looked at his watch and agreed with him. “Yes, let’s get you all ready. Everyone, please change into your dance attire.” 

Kate saw Shane groan as did most of the boys, but boys and girls alike all scattered to some unknown area to get ready. She stood by the table alone until Robin came over.

“I see you put the flowers to good use!” Robin said, giving the girl a quick hug. “Sebastian begged to pick all the ones I had been growing. They look lovely.”

Kate smiled at her, “Thank you for donating them. I really loved them.” 

Robin asked her to show her one day how to make them and Kate promised as long as Robin would teach her how to possibly make a raised garden bed. They spoke for a bit and then the boys and girls started to come back. Kate was in awe at the dresses the girls had on, white flowing dresses, the boys in blue suits. “They are gorgeous!” she exclaimed.

“Yes, they are. This is one of my favorite events if for no other reason then seeing Seb and Maru dressed up.”

Just then Kate noticed that Abi was not in a dress. Shane was standing with Emily, and the groups were starting to line up. Sebastian was walking towards her and his mother, something in his hand. Shane was looking from Abi, to Sebastian, to Kate. 

When he approached them he smiled at his mom before turning his attention to Kate. Everyone in the town seemed to be watching them now, most of them realizing that Abi had never changed. He asked for Kate’s wrist and slipped a corsage on it. Robin handed Kate a single red tulip to pin on Sebastian’s suit.

“I hear it’s traditional for guys to give a girl the corsage before asking them to the big dance.” he told her, his voice a little shaky. Kate was stunned at the gesture, not knowing what to say or do. She took to tulip from Robin and carefully pinned it on Sebastian despite her hands shaking.

“Kate, will you dance with me?” he asked, looking into her eyes. Kate nodded, trying not to let the emotions overcome her. He held his hand out and she took it, him leading her to the group. 

“Seb, I don’t know the dance.” she whispered to him as they were walking. She noticed Abi smiling at them, practically beaming. 

“You’ll be between Haley and Emily. Just follow their lead. Or don’t, we can just do our own thing. It’s been a while since this thing was shaken up.” he said, trying to make her less nervous even though he felt the same thing.

Haley was throwing daggers at her with her eyes as they got to the line. Emily was smiling at her, her eyes comforting. Shane looked not at all pleased with this turn of events. 

“Don’t fuck this up.” Haley whispered at her.

“Back off, Haley.” Emily sneered at her while still smiling. “Don’t worry, Kate, just bend down on every 8th beat and throw your hands up at the end. Or something like that. Just have fun.”

If Haley was throwing daggers at Kate, Shane seemed to be throwing full swords at Sebastian. Just then the music started and the dance began. Kate tried to keep up with everything and just kept her eyes on Sebastian’s. Soon enough it was over, and everyone was clapping. She scanned the crowd and Linus was grinning at her, clapping for her.

It seemed before anyone could even reach her Sebastian had her hand. “I’m sorry if I put you on the spot like that.” he told her when they had gotten away from the crowd. “Wanna come with me for a few?” he asked.

Kate nodded, still sort of numb after everything. She wasn’t sure what just happened during the last 20 minutes or so, but she was sure she wasn’t drunk and was not imagining any of it. They started walking out of the forest. “Won’t the others know we are gone?”

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure they’ll be alright by themselves. The big part is done now, anyways. Obligations fulfilled.” he said. They walked through her farm and took the path to his house.

“I promised you a ride.” he said to her, opening the garage. He pulled the bike out, handing her a helmet. He got on and patted the seat. Kate put the helmet on and positioned herself behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her head on his back. He started the bike and off they went.

I was better than she could ever imagine, the wind, the feeling almost like flying. She held tight to him, watching the scenery pass her by. How would anything even top today? She got to dance, she was holding onto Sebastian, the world flying by. They were like that for a couple of hours until they came to a cliff overlooking the city. He stopped the bike and hopped off then helped her off. Her legs felt like jello, shaking, making it hard to stand upright.

“Here, just lean on me for a bit. It will get better.” he promised her. Putting his arms around her from behind, holding her upright, and his head now on her shoulder. “This is my favorite spot to come to. It helps me to clear my head.” 

“It’s beautiful.” Kate said, meaning it. The sun was starting it’s descent over the city, the lights starting to come on. “Seb, why did you ask me to dance? I thought you were meant to dance with Abi.”

“I didn’t want to dance with Abi. I wanted to dance with you. And I wanted you to know that even though you had a shitty experience before with dances that there was someone who only wanted to dance with you.” he said softly.

Kate felt a tear fall down her face before she could stop it. She was thankful that he was behind her and not facing her. Her heart was so full in this moment, here with this boy, in this place. She sat down on the ground and he followed suit, back to back, just like that day at the lake.

“Look, Kate. I don’t know what will happen. All I know is that I have never brought anyone else here. I hope you know what I am trying to say to you.” he had never been this vulnerable before, not with anyone.

“I think I do.” was her response, still trying to contain her emotions.

“I want you to know that I know you have some things you are working out. That’s fine, I can’t expect anything more from you. I just need you to know where I stand on things, so I just don’t let things pass by.”

“Seb…” Kate started but he cut her off.

“You don’t have to say anything. I’m not asking for anything from you, no decisions, no commitments. I just want you to know how I feel. If there’s any chance at all, any part of you that feels the same…” he was saying as Kate turned around and put her arms around him, her head on his back.

“Do you know how amazing you are?” she asked him. “This, all of this. No one has done anything like this before for me.” She stood up and walked over to face him, giving him her hands to pull him up.  
He stood up facing her but looking down at the ground. He had never felt so nervous in front of anyone before. She bent down, putting herself in his view. “Seb, look at me.” she told him, forcing him to make eye contact with her.

She moved closer to him, closing any space that was between them, bringing one hand up to his face, the other wrapped around his waist. He closed his eyes, breathing in the moment. Her mouth found his, her thoughts now on his lips. He gave in, becoming less tense, letting himself fold into her. She was so soft, he was so gentle. He held her close to him, never wanting the moment to end. She broke away slightly, but he pulled her back in, gently biting her lower lip. He heard a soft moan come from her, allowing herself to come back to him. Nothing ever felt more right, or perfect.

They finally broke apart and she placed her head on his shoulders. Neither one of them could speak, so they sat together, watching the sun set over the city. 

“I used to always dream about leaving, you know. Head to the city, leave it all behind and start new. Now though, I think it could be different here. Maybe this place isn’t so bad, after all.” he said breaking the silence.

“Sebastian, I have to tell you something…” Kate started, but he cut her off with a kiss.

“Let’s just have tonight. We can talk about all the important stuff tomorrow, but for now, let’s just be here tonight. Just us.” he told her, not wanting anything to ruin this night.

“We can do that.” Kate smiled, understanding the need and the want to just let things stay as they were here. This whole day was something she could have only dreamed about. Sebastian could not have been more perfect than he was in the moment, sitting in the moonlight, watching the city lights. He put his arm around her, drawing her closer, letting everything just settle. 

“Eventually we have to head back, even if I don’t want to.” he told her, kissing the top of her head.

“Spencer may be a little worried if I don’t come home.” she said, partially joking.

“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” he said, pulling her up. They went back towards the bike but before they had reached it he stopped. “Kate, I know I said no serious talk, but I just need to know one thing. Is there a chance? Did I wait too long?”

Kate’s heart broke at the tone of his voice. How different he was from Shane, how different these two experiences were. She felt again that in some cases, they were so similar, both lost in their own ways. She couldn’t deny that she felt strongly for both of them and at this moment had no idea how to handle anything, but she knew in her heart that he had a great chance. She was so lost with him here, this perfect night. She took his face in her hands, gently kissing him before answering. “You didn’t wait too long. This was perfect.”

They rode back home, to Stardew Valley, which looked so different tonight. The stars seemed brighter, the town looked beautiful. Soon they were at her house and she was sad it was over.

“I’m glad I came here.” she said aloud, even if she meant it for herself. Sebastian got off the bike and helped her off. 

“I’m pretty glad you came here too.” he said in response. “Call me tomorrow?” he asked her before letting her go.

“I will.” she said, giving him a kiss goodnight before heading in. “Don’t worry, it won’t be too early.” 

He left and she went in, shutting the door behind her. She just looked at Spencer, who had come over when she came home. “What a day.” she said to him at last, opening up some food for him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shane had started to head to her house close to 10, figuring she should be back from wherever she had run off too earlier. He hadn’t seen her since the dance ended, and he couldn’t help but notice that Sebastian was nowhere to be found either. 

As he got about halfway to her house he could hear the motorcycle, which he knew was Sebastian’s. He went a little further up and could see them now, him helping her off the bike, her kissing him. He finished the beer in his hand, crushing it in his palm, before walking away back towards his home. They never even heard the sound of the beer can or him as he walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, such fun and such a mess to write. I LOVE ALL OF THEM SO MUCH. I had to give Seb a fighting chance because my boy Shane was making those big moves. I love the fluff, and the drama, but mostly the fluff and this was pure clouds. Well until the end. You know how it goes.
> 
> thank you so much for reading and for commenting. It makes my whole day. I may have to take a little break now to figure out how to map it from here, because it's about to get ALL COMPLICATED.


	22. Sleep to Dream

Year 1 - Spring 25 - Shane

Shane woke up on Thursday feeling like death. His head was pounding, his mouth felt like the desert. He reached for the aspirin that was always on the bedside table and swallowed three of them. He sat up, looking for his phone to see what time it was. It was 9, much later than he normally slept, but he didn’t work at Joja today. Sam was picking up the one stocking shift as the day after a festival was pretty slow.

His brain was still trying to process what had happened last night and how it all went to shit. He remembered being at the Flower Dance, he remembered Kate dancing with Sebastian, then disappearing. He, along with the rest of the town, was shocked about that. He wasn’t sure if he was more shocked that Haley didn’t melt down or that Sebastian actually grew a pair and asked her to dance. He shouldn’t have been surprised, he knew especially after the Egg Festival that he must have had his eye on her too. The disappearing though. The town was bursting at the seams with rumors after that and he was so fucking tired of hearing about it. 

He left the woods about two hours later, heading back to his house to start drinking. He knew the groups would disperse soon after, either heading to their own homes or to the saloon. There isn’t anything else to do in this shit town in any case, so he figured he would just get a head start on the drinking and then wait for Kate to come back. He quickly finished the six pack, then decided to head to the saloon around 5.

He got there and found Gus and Emily at the bar and Pam was there. Of course Pam was there, that was to be expected as much as him being there. She stayed at her side of the bar, he stayed on his, and he had his beer in his hand about one minute after getting to the spot. He saw Leah come in, standing at the bar, talking to Emily. He couldn’t remember exactly what they were talking about, but he definitely heard her name and Sebastian’s name repeatedly. 

Gus came over to him then, checking on him, making sure he was okay or if he needed another. He remembered telling him to keep them coming. He needed to drink down the feelings he had, the hurt at seeing her with him, dancing, laughing. He knew he told her he didn’t want anything, that he wasn’t looking for a relationship. Deep down, part of him was hoping she would try anyways, push past that barrier, like she did with everything else. He didn’t think of himself as the relationship type; he had Jas to think of, and he had his own demons on top of that. He didn’t want to deal with a relationship on top of that, but when he was with her. Damn, when he was with her, he almost could feel like an actual person and not some piece of garbage. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he could have something with her.

“Hey Shane,” Emily said coming over to him, “how are you doing? You need a refill?” He nodded, and she brought him another beer. As he drank it he could feel it all getting pushed down, the familiar feeling washing over him. “What a day, huh?” she asked him gently. She had her suspicions that Shane was interested in Kate, even if he tried to deny it.

“Not now, Emily.” was all he replied, taking another long drink. 

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you for being my partner again this year. I know it must not be your favorite thing in the world…” she started but Shane just turned away. He really didn’t want to make small talk. She didn’t seem to get the hint though as she stayed there, waiting for him to turn around again.

“Have you talked to her?” Emily asked, not getting the hint, or not caring. 

“What?” he asked her, turning around to face the girl, feeling the anger rise.

“Kate. Have you talked to her about your whole thing?” she asked, waving her hands in front of him. 

“There is no thing.” he told her, finishing his beer. Emily got him another, sliding it over to him.

“Ok, Shane, there is no thing. I have some experience and you really don’t look like there is no thing, but who am I to doubt you?”

Out of everyone in the town he didn’t mind Emily as much, though he never really talked to her outside of dance practices and asking for his beer. 

“Well, hypothetically,” he said leaning in, “what if someone did talk to someone else about a thing, but said that there could never be a thing to really speak of.”

“Well, hypothetically of course, it would be hard to sulk if some other thing came up.” she told him point blank. 

He let it sink in for a while while Emily went to go take care of the other patrons. He didn’t want to think about Kate with Sebastian, where they could have gone. He did tell her that he wasn’t interested in moving things further, but did he mean that? “All I do is fuck shit up.” he thought to himself. “I’m not worth putting the effort into and she deserves someone better.” He could still feel her lips on his, the feel of her underneath him. If he closed his eyes, he could see hers, looking at him. He could still smell her hair, hear her laugh. 

He looked at the clock, seeing it was close to 9:30. He had Gus sell him a six pack to go and decided to see if she was home. She was a farmer, she couldn’t stay up too late. He didn’t know what he would say to her, but he knew he wanted to talk to her again, let her know that maybe they could work something out. Thinking of her made him want to try more, do better. Being with her made him think that he could maybe have something more to look forward to.

He left the saloon, waving to Emily, heading to the dock to place the six pack down before heading up to the farm. He would bring her here, just for a little, to have a talk. Seeing her with Sebastian today made him realize he didn’t want to see her with anyone else, that he would be the person that she needed.

He headed up and he could hear a motorcycle up ahead. He knew it was Sebastian’s since he was the only one in town with a bike. “Well, at least I know she’s home.” he said to himself. As he got a little closer he could see the two of them, barely, but could see them. He took a sip of his beer, waiting before moving forward, not wanting to approach her until Sebastian was gone.

Then he saw it. He saw her kiss him. A wave of emotions came over him, crushing him. He wanted to rush up and pull them apart, let his anger take over. Smash the kid’s face in. He didn’t though, he just watched it happen, feeling like he deserved this, to see this. “Why would she want me?” he thought to himself, a laugh escaping his lips. “I’m so fucked up and worthless. What could I even offer her?” They separated and Shane turned around to leave, crushing his empty beer can and throwing it to the ground.

He went back to the dock, grabbing another beer, thinking about jumping in. The water looked so inviting, so soft. He decided to walk back to the Saloon, saving the beers for later. The place had mostly cleared out, being close to 10:30, and there was only Pam and Clint left there. No one said anything to him as he took his familiar spot. Gus handed him another beer, Emily was cleaning the tables. She came over to him after a few minutes.

“Back again?” she asked him, wiping off the bar counter.

“Yup.” he said, drinking his beer.

“You okay?” she asked, genuine concern in her voice. Shane noticed Clint’s eyes following Emily’s every move. 

“Just fucking peachy. You want to come have a drink after you are out of work?” Shane asked her, not wanting to be alone.

Emily stared at him, not knowing what to make of the situation. Shane never had asked anyone in the town to do anything. She went back to wiping the bar down and nodded her head. “Yeah, I can do that.” 

Soon enough the saloon was closed and all the patrons had to leave. Shane stood against the bar, waiting for Emily to come out. About 15 minutes later she was there, and they were walking to the lake. “I was with her here just a few nights ago.” he thought to himself. 

They sat at the dock and Shane handed her a beer. It was all too familiar and he couldn’t help but think of her. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Emily asked, breaking the silence. She knew something must have happened, for her to be here. 

“Nothing to talk about, Em.” he answered. 

She started talking then, about her life, her parents, her strained relationship with her sister. It was kind of hard to believe that they were sisters. He listened to her talk, grateful that she was so he wouldn’t have to. She was different, so different from Kate. She even smelled different from her, like patchouli. He watched her talk, drinking another beer, even though it probably wasn’t the best of ideas.

She stopped talking and looked at him. “Why did you ask me here, Shane?” She pulled out a flask from her bag, opening it and taking a sip, handing it to him. 

He took a sip and felt the whiskey burn go down. Why had he asked her? He could barely think anymore, and when he tried, his mind kept going back to Kate.

“Because you are different from everyone else here.” he told her, taking another sip before handing it back to her. “You get along with everyone, but I think you feel like an outsider too.” 

Emily nodded, not agreeing or disagreeing with him. “Tell me something you love.” she said to him. 

“Huh?” he asked, looking at her.

“It’s simple, really. Tell me something you love. I’ll go first. I love crystals, like I really love crystals.”

“Ok, well, I love chickens, I guess.” he told her, not sure where she was going with this line of conversation.

“That’s a good thing to love. I also really love wool. I love making my own clothes.” she told him. Soon they were conversing about things they loved, as well as hate. 

“Elevator music is the absolute worst. I used to get so mad when I worked at Joja and had to ride the elevator to the 6th floor. I ended up taking the stairs eventually just to avoid it.” he said, laughing. 

“Oh wow, you worked at Joja before coming here?” she asked him while taking another sip from her flask. He reached out and she handed it to him. 

He took a long swig from the flask. “Yeah, I did data entry there. Kate worked there…” he stopped talking abruptly at the thought.

Emily reached out and put a hand on his arm to comfort him. She wasn’t sure what happened today with them all, but she could feel the pain he was in. She knew pain all too well.

Shane looked at the hand on his arm then to the girl next to him. He couldn’t think straight anymore, the liquor fully taking over his mind. He leaned over and kissed her, starting softly then becoming more aggressive. He felt her tense but then went with it, leaning into him. His hands went to her sides, kissing her deeper. Her hands were reaching to him, reaching under his shirt, feeling him, his chest, his arms. They moved further up the dock, away from the water, laying side by side, exploring each other. 

Shane stopped suddenly, remembering where he was and who he was with. His mind was racing, thinking about Kate with Sebastian, one part of his brain telling him to stop thinking and pay attention to the girl next to him. The other part telling him that it wasn’t fair, that he couldn’t just replace Kate with Emily. He looked to the girl next to him, making up his mind.

“Emily, I’m sorry. This shouldn’t be happening.” he told her, standing up. Emily just looked at him and smiled.

“I think we both knew that, but are you sure? It’s not unnatural to need some human interaction every once in a while, Shane.” she told him. She was always intrigued by him and had wanted to get to know him, but he never gave anyone the time of day. 

“Yeah, I’m sure. It wouldn’t be fair to you.” he told her, helping her up. “Let me walk you home.” he offered.

“It’s okay, I’m not too far from here.” she said, giving him a pat on the arm. “Shane? Take care of yourself. You are worthy of being happy.” she told him before heading off to her house.

Shane sat in his room, remembering all the events from the previous day. He decided to start drinking since he didn’t have to work and he didn’t want to think anymore. He was about 7 beers in, lying on the floor when his aunt walked in.

“Shane! It’s 11 AM. What are you doing?” she said sternly. 

“Leave me alone.” he answered, finishing his beer and passing out. He could hear another voice but didn’t register what or who it was, and frankly, didn’t care. Next thing he knew he felt cold water on his face, waking him up fully.

“What the fuck!” he yelled and realized he was staring at Marnie and Kate.

“Shane, what are you going to do with your life? What is your plan?” Marnie asked him, sounding both worried and angry. Kate was just standing there, with a worried expression. She had no idea that she was the reason he was passed out drunk at 11 AM. No idea he had almost slept with Emily last night because of her taking off with Sebastian. He felt the anger take over looking at them.

“Plan? My plan is to not live long enough to need a fucking plan.” he yelled, not seeing the little girl in the doorway. He threw one of his empty beer cans against the wall, then noticed Jas, tears in her eyes, running out of the room.

Marnie left, leaving Kate with Shane, but Shane couldn’t look at her. “Jas…” he said before he started to cry. Kate opened her mouth but then shut it again, giving him a sad look before heading out.

He got up to try and follow but he was unsteady on his feet. He made it out but found Marnie blocking the exit. “Kate took Jas to her farm for the day. I suggest you get yourself cleaned up and leave them alone for the day.”

“Why was she here?” Shane asked Marnie, holding himself up against the wall.

“She came to see you. You clearly are not in a state to see anyone. Really, Shane, I have kept quiet since you have been here, because I love you. I also love that little girl, and Jas loves you so much. You need to really think about your life and what you want to provide for her. Maybe you should see Harvey…”

“No. I don’t need to see Harvey, or Kate. I don’t need people in this town knowing my business.” he said, slamming his door.

Once he was back in his room, alone, he took a look around. It was a mess with beer cans thrown everywhere, clothes everywhere. He didn’t need anyone or their help. He felt guilty Jas saw him that way, but he didn’t need to fuck her life any more than it already was. Maybe everyone would be better off if he was just gone.

He laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He could see Kate’s sad expression when he closed his eyes, so he just kept them open, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. He heard his phone go off and just flung it against the wall. He wasn’t sure if it broke but he also didn’t care if it did. He was done with it all, and most of all with her. He just couldn’t figure out why if he was done with her it was her that kept flooding his mind. It was her that he dreamed about, her face he could clearly see his mind, her lips he could still feel, even after someone else’s lips came after hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Shane. My heart breaks for him so often. I do love me a sad boy.
> 
> I have some really interesting ideas for this coming up that I don't think I have seen before, but should hopefully make everyone (including myself) really happy! Please let me know how you are liking everything so far. I love comments and knowing people are reading.
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! My personal rona test came back negative, so while I was sick it wasn't the rona (so really happy about that!).


	23. Heavy in Your Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's part 1 of confrontation time!

Year 1 - Spring 25

Kate left the ranch, looking for the young girl who ran outside. She had told Marnie that she would find Jas to give her some time to get Shane straightened out. She had no idea it was that bad with him, even though she knew he drank more than what was considered average. She found Jas by a large tree to the left of the ranch and Kate could see the lake where she spent time with Shane a few nights ago.

“Hi there, Jas. I talked to Marnie and she said it would be okay for you to come hang out with me today if you would like! I have some strawberries ready to be picked and I am sure Spencer would love to meet you.” she told her, bending down to get at her level.

“Spencer?” the little girl asked, drying her tears. 

“Mhm, he’s my dog. He really likes to play and usually doesn’t want me to work on the farm so I can play with him. You’d be doing me a huge favor if you would play with him for a little while.” she told her. Kate’s heart was so heavy for the girl, and for Shane. 

“Can we eat some of the strawberries?” Jas asked, coming closer to Kate.

“What’s the use of growing them if we can’t eat them.” Kate winked at the girl, holding out her hand. Jas took it and together they walked up to the farm. Soon enough Spencer was running towards them, excited to see another person. Jas stiffened at first, but soon Spencer had her laughing as he licked her. Kate let the two run off together while she tried to find some baskets in the house so they could pick the strawberries.

Spencer finally tired enough to lay down and go for a quick nap and Jas found Kate on the porch holding the baskets. She handed her the smaller one and together they headed for the strawberry patch to begin harvesting.

“Miss Kate,” Jas started after putting a few strawberries in the basket, “do you think Uncle Shane really doesn’t want to live long?”

Kate took a deep breath, knowing at some point in the day the conversation would turn to this. “No, Jas, I don’t think that. I think sometimes people just get tired. You know how Spencer went to take a nap, well, I think sometimes people get really tired, but on their inside. It’s a little different from bedtime tired, it’s more heart tired. When that happens, sometimes people say things that deep down maybe they don’t really mean.” 

“I’ve seen Vincent’s mom crying sometimes. Like that?” Jas asked, popping a strawberry in her mouth.

“Maybe just like that, it’s hard to say.” Kate answered honestly.

“Do you ever get heart tired, Miss Kate?” 

“Of course. It’s impossible to not get heart tired. Have you ever just felt sad?” Kate asked her, also eating a strawberry. 

“Yeah, but usually it’s because Vincent is mean and pulled my hair or threw a rock at me. He did that once, you know.” 

“Boys are pretty weird, aren’t they?” Kate laughed and soon Jas was laughing with her. “How would you like to take a walk with me? I promised Maru I would bring her some strawberries when they were ready.” Jas nodded happily and they went inside the house to portion them out. Kate had saved some for herself, put together a package for Maru, and also made a third package. “This one will be for you to take home.” she said to Jas.

“Do you think Uncle Shane will still be mad when I go home?” Jas asked, her eyes going wide. “I don’t want him to be mad or sad.” 

“I think he will be just fine, don’t you worry. Let’s get going and then we can stop at the park.” Together the two girls headed up the path to Robin’s, Jas happily picking dandelions and daffodils along the way. They reached Robin’s house and Kate’s stomach was in knots. She wasn’t sure if she would bump into Sebastian, or what she would say. She didn’t even know what was fully going on with everything. And then Shane… 

Robin had opened the door as they approached, looking as if she was about to head out. “Good afternoon Kate!” she started and then noticed the young girl behind her. “And good afternoon Jas! This is a pleasant surprise. Sebby is in his room if you wanted to see him.” 

“Thanks, Robin, but we are here to see Maru. I promised her some strawberries and we are here to deliver.” Kate said.

“Oh, she is in the lab with Demetrius, just pop right in! I may have to steal one from there before she eats them all!” Kate handed her a strawberry and she put it in her mouth. “Don’t tell Maru!” she said before she walked away.

Kate and Jas entered the home and knocked on the lab door. They heard a “come in” before opening and saw Demetrius and Maru looking into some microscopes. They both turned around at the same time and greeted them. “Hi guys! Maru, here are the strawberries I promised you!” Kate said, handing off the strawberries.

Maru took them excitedly. “Thank you so much! These look great!” She noticed Jas looking around in awe at all the equipment. “Hey, Jas, have you ever looked through a microscope?” she said and looked to Demetrius, who nodded in approval. Jas shook her head and Maru held out her hand. “Why don’t you come with me and let me show you some cool things. Kate, if you want to say hi with Seb, feel free to head down. Jas is about to get a science introduction.”

“Vincent is going to be so jealous!” Jas squealed, running over to where the microscopes were. 

Kate nodded, then headed downstairs to Sebastian’s room. She knocked softly, not wanting to disturb him if he was working. She heard him call out, so she opened the door. He was laying on his bed, book in hand. He sat up when she entered and smiled.

“Hey, you. I didn’t expect to see you this early.” he told her, standing up and walking over to her. 

“Jas and I were delivering strawberries. I promised Maru I would bring her some.” Kate explained.

“Jas is with you?” he questioned with a puzzled expression on his face. 

“Yeah, long story but the short version is I have a farm helper for the day.” she explained. Sebastian’s arms opened up and she went into them for a hug. She felt Sebastian kiss the top of her head. 

“I’ve been out of school for a bit but I think I learned there were laws concerning child labor, you know.” he said and Kate laughed. 

“It’s okay, she’s been paid in strawberries and dog kisses.” 

“Well, that seems like a fair wage. So what are your plans?” he asked, still holding onto her.

“I think we are hitting the park after this, and then back to the farm maybe? I have to get some things ready for summer crop planting time.” 

“Do you think you’ll have some time before summer comes to hang out? I’m sure you have a lot to do, so if not, that’s fine.” he said to her, breaking apart, but holding her hand.

“I’m sure I can fit you in somewhere.” Kate teased. “We probably have some things to talk about too.” she finished softly. 

“I guess we could do that too, but there are other things I can think of that would be slightly more fun.” he said, giving her a smile. He knew that they would have to talk, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t nervous about it.

“I should head back up to get Jas, text me later?” 

“Of course.” he said, giving her a quick kiss before opening the door for her.  
Kate sighed into him, a slight taste of coffee on his lips. She wanted to stay here with him but knew she couldn’t leave Jas upstairs for much longer. She left, looking back over her shoulder at the boy standing in the doorway. She headed up the stairs, finding Jas in the lab room surrounded by Demetrius and Maru and talking excitedly. Kate cleared her throat and they all turned to look at her, Jas leaping down from the stool they had brought over for her.

“Miss Kate, I saw things that were swimming! It was so cool!” she told her. 

“That is exciting! You ready to head out, Jas?” Kate asked her and Jas looked slightly sad. 

“Don’t worry, Jas, you can come back again!” Maru told her, handing her a lollipop. Jas happily took it and grabbed Kate’s hand. 

They said their goodbyes and headed out for the park. Vincent was there with his mom and Leah was also there. Jas ran off to play with Vincent, leaving Kate standing there. Leah noticed her and called her over.

“Hey, Kate! You here with Jas?” Jodi asked as Kate reached them.

“Yeah, we are hanging out today. She's a great help on the farm.” Kate responded. She hadn’t spoken to Jodi much, and usually saw Leah with Elliott. 

“So, where did you and Sebastian run off to yesterday?” Leah asked, lightly punching her on the arm. 

Kate could feel herself blushing at the words, which only made the two other women laugh. “Sebastian took me for a ride on his bike.” 

The two women laughed again. “Well, I am glad you have Jas today. I bet Marnie has her hands full with Shane.” Leah said after she finally stopped laughing. 

Kate just stared, not knowing how much to say. Thankfully, Leah just continued and Kate didn’t have to say anything.

“I saw him at the bar last night and he was definitely more drunk than usual. Then after he and Emily left, I saw them on the dock, and he was still drinking. Well, he was doing a lot more than drinking, if you know what I mean…” Leah started but didn’t finish because Jodi jumped in.

“With Emily? He was with Emily?” Jodi gasped.

“Oh yeah. I was heading home and I could just hear some noises, so I went to just make sure things were okay. I saw them together, barely clothed, and just headed home.” 

“No kidding. Looks like Sebastian wasn’t the only one giving rides.” Jodi said, starting to laugh again.

Kate could barely breathe, her heart and stomach feeling like just one organ. She knew she had to react, she had to do something. She forced out a laugh, but she felt like she was going to throw up. “My ride was on an actual motorcycle, I promise.” Kate said, turning away to look for Jas so she wouldn’t have to face the two women.

“We all thought Shane was interested in you. No one is going to believe we were all wrong.” Leah said, getting Kate’s attention back to her. 

“Oh no, we are just friends. Neighbors, really.” Kate said, her voice breaking slightly. She knew she had no reason to be reacting. Her and Shane were not exclusive, and hadn’t she done the exact same thing? She was going to talk to Shane this morning, hoping maybe speaking to both of them would help her come up with a decision, since she knew she was going to need to make one. She just didn’t have any idea that Shane would make the decision for her. “I should probably get Jas back for some lunch.” she told them, starting to walk away. “It was good seeing you both.” she said as she left.

She was trying to keep the tears from coming. She called Jas over and told her that they needed to head back to feed Spencer and have some lunch. 

“Miss Kate, are you okay? You look sad.” Jas asked as they neared the farmhouse.

“Oh, I am fine, Jas. Allergies get me sometimes.” she said, hoping her voice wasn’t betraying her. They got to the farmhouse where Jas was very happy to feed Spencer while Kate made them some grilled cheeses. They ate together, Jas telling her about her schooling in town, and a lot about how mean Vincent was. They were about to settle in to watch some TV together when Kate heard a knock on the door.

She got up to answer and was shocked to see Shane there. He looked tired, his eyes puffy, his voice hoarse. “Hey, thanks for taking Jas, and sorry about earlier. I’m not usually that bad..” Jas came running over when she heard Shane’s voice and looked up at him.

“Hi Uncle Shane. Are you feeling better?” she asked him, holding Kate’s hand.

“Yeah, much better Jas. Did you have a good day?” he asked her.

“We had so much fun! We picked some strawberries and brought them to Maru, I got to look through a microscope, we went to the park, I fed Spencer…” 

“You had a busy day! Why don’t you run home and I will be right behind you. You can tell me more about it over dinner.” he said and she hugged Kate goodbye before leaving them alone.  
“Kate…” he started but she cut him off.

“You don’t owe me any explanations, Shane, so there is no need to apologize.” Kate said to him coldly.

“But I do, especially after you taking care of Jas today. I really want to talk to you.” 

“I didn’t take care of Jas for you, Shane, I did it for her.” Kate wouldn’t look him in the eyes, she couldn’t because she knew that her emotions would betray her. “Are you done here? I really have a lot of things to do.” 

“Kate, what’s wrong? I mean, I know I was a mess this morning, and I didn’t mean to yell at you. We do need to talk, please.” he pleaded with her.

“We really don’t Shane. Go home. Make things up to Jas. I can’t do this right now. So please, go home.” she said. 

Shane stared at the girl, not knowing what to say. She wouldn’t look at him at all. He just sighed and walked away from the door. “If you change your mind, give me a call.” he said sadly. 

Kate shut the door, leaning against it and dropping to the floor. She let the emotions come then, tears falling down her face. “I have no right to be upset.” she kept telling herself over and over again. Even with the mantra though, she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. 

She sat down at her table, phone in her hand. She wanted to call Abi but couldn’t. She kept talking herself down, telling herself that she needed to tell him the exact same thing, that she was also interested in someone else. She had no reason to be hurt, to be angry, yet she couldn’t help herself. She heard her phone go off and looked down to see a message from Shane.

_Shane - Hey, I’m really sorry you had to see me that way, Kate. There aren’t any excuses for it no matter how justified I felt at the time. I hope you can forgive me, and I hope we can talk soon. I do really want to talk to you. I know I said some things, and I have done some things, and I have seen some things. I just need to talk to you. If you don’t want to talk to me, I will respect it and if you need some time, that is fine too._

_Kate - Meet me by my pond in 10 minutes._

Kate sighed, throwing some water on her face before heading out. She wasn’t sure what she would say to him, or him to her, but she knew it was time to at least confront it. She told Spencer to stay in the house and she left, heading to the pond south of her home. She almost suggested the docks, but she didn’t want to go there after what she had heard today.

He was already there by the time she got there and he was just standing, hands in his pockets, looking at the ground. “Hey.” he said as she got closer.

“Hi. I’m not quite sure where to begin.” she told him, standing opposite him. 

“Look, I know I told you I don’t want anything from you. No expectations. No complications.” he told her. “I can’t blame you for taking off with Sebastian, I know I can’t. But even though I can’t blame you, it drove me fucking crazy. It was hard enough watching you guys dance together, but then when you left, it threw me over the edge.” he told her, his voice slightly harder. 

“Are you blaming me for you spending the night with Emily?” she shot back, unable to help herself. She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. 

“Spending the night with Emily? What are you even talking about?” he asked her, finally looking at her.

“I heard, Shane. Today.” she answered, keeping her voice steady. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me about it.”

“I didn’t sleep with Emily, Kate.” he answered. “And what did you do last night? Because I saw you, Kate, I saw you kiss him.” 

“What? How? Why?” she stammered. “Yes, and I was actually coming over to talk to you this morning when you decided to scream you didn’t feel like living long enough to have a plan.” she said, her voice getting louder. “Were you going to tell me about your own adventures?”

“You just told me that I didn’t have to tell you anything!” he yelled back.

“Yeah, and you told me that we were never going to be a thing, Shane. You pointed it out at the first moment that you had that you had no interest in moving things forward!” her hands balled into fists at her side, her anger rising.

Shane looked back at the ground, kicking a rock into the pond. “What the fuck are we doing?” he asked, mostly to himself.

“I honestly don’t know.” Kate answered, sitting on the ground, defeated. He walked over to her, sitting behind her and resting his head on her back. “We kissed. That’s as far as it’s gone. I’m not going to tell you that I’m not conflicted, because I am.” she told him.

“I didn’t sleep with her, Kate. I’m not going to say we just kissed, but it didn’t go much farther. I couldn’t do it because she wasn’t the person I wanted to be there with; it didn’t feel right.” he sighed. “I was coming to see you to tell you that I wanted to see where things could go with us. Seeing you with him at the dance made me realize I was being an idiot. Most things I touch end up ruined, and I didn’t want us to be like that, but you also make me want to be better than I am. When I saw you kiss him, I just saw red.” 

They sat in silence for a while, his head resting on her back, and her with her knees up and her head in her hands. 

“So, is this it? Is this as good as it gets?” he finally asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” she answered.

“Why do I feel like you are going to ask me to circle one?” he said and they laughed. It was strange, strained. 

“I think we both have some thinking to do and some more conversations need to be had before I can answer that question.” she told him. 

“Kate, for what it’s worth, I am really sorry.” he said, putting his arms around her. 

She took his hands in hers. “Me too, Shane.” They stood up then and faced each other. She felt exhausted and drained, more than she had ever felt before. He leaned in to kiss her but she stepped away slightly. “I can’t, Shane. My head is already confused enough right now, and I wager yours is too.” 

He just nodded, not surprised that she turned him down at this moment. “Can I walk you to your house?” he asked and she agreed. They walked silently, side by side. She climbed the stairs alone and turned to say good night to him. He was staring at her, his eyes so bright and sad.

“I want you to know Kate, it’s you. I don’t need to make a choice, but I get you need to. I don’t want you to factor Emily into your decision. Emily knows there isn’t anything there for me.” he said, climbing the stairs up to her and opening his arms.

She went into them, giving him a hug. She buried her face into his chest, not trusting herself to look up at him. “Goodnight, Shane.” she whispered before breaking it off and heading inside.

She looked around her house, just wanting to fall into her bed. She texted Sebastian quickly asking to see him tomorrow before shutting her phone off. Tomorrow was going to be a rough day, her brain and her heart fighting, and she wanted to get what little sleep she possibly could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a mess this girl is. Well, talk one with Shane down, Seb comes soon, and then I can unveil my master plan on the moving forward for this little jaunt into Pelican Town. I hope you guys continue to ride this out with me and hopefully will do until the end! 
> 
> I hope everyone has had a great weekend and are staying safe! I had a pretty quiet weekend (filled with Stardew and Battlestar Galactica) so no complaints here! 
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think and be good out there!


	24. You Showed Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation number 2 and a visit from a friend helps Kate put some things in perspective.

Year 1 - Spring 26

Kate had already done all of her farm work, showered, ate what lunch she could with her stomach being the way it was. Last night was still in her head, her head flooding with memories. It was exhausting and she still felt drained but she still had one conversation to have. Sebastian would be over soon and she wasn’t sure what she was going to say to him. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted.

Spencer ran around and headed to the door, wanting to go outside. Kate stood up and opened the door to let him out. She saw there was a package on her porch and she reached down to grab it. She opened up the bag and saw a package of pepper poppers and a note.

_Kate, I wanted to let you know I meant everything last night and if I have to wait, I will wait. I understand courtship involves gifts so here is a package of pepper poppers. Just don’t tell anyone because I am pretty sure I swiped them from the backroom a bit ago. It’s the thought that counts, right? - Shane_

She couldn’t help but laugh when she read the note. “It’s always the pepper poppers.” she thought to herself, remembering the one and only time she went into Joja and had a spat with Shane. She was startled when she heard a voice behind her.

“Hey, you. What’s so funny?” Sebastian said, making Kate jump. 

“Hey! Oh, just pepper poppers.” Kate said, motioning him to follow her as she headed inside her house. She put the poppers in her freezer and started to make some coffee.

“I’m not even going to ask.” Sebastian remarked, sitting at the table. He watched Kate and noticed she seemed a little more nervous than normal. “So, what’s up? I mean, not that I wouldn’t have found a way to come over anyways, but you seemed a little on edge with your text last night.” 

“Yeah, let me get us some coffee and we can talk.” she said, grabbing a couple of mugs. Sebastian got up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and nuzzling his head into her back.

“Whatever it is, don’t worry.” he told her. 

Kate didn’t respond as she poured a couple of cups, leaving them on the counter for a moment. She turned around so she could hug him back, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Four months ago, she was working a job she hated, everyday the same. Now she was here, on her grandfather’s farm, conflicted between men. She was also afraid that once it all came out, once the truth of everything came out, she would never have a chance to hug him like this again. There was no guarantee that he wouldn’t be upset over the situation and make decisions of his own. 

“Come on,” she told him, sitting at the table once she broke away, “let’s sit down.” 

He sat at the table across from her. He could see the visible pain on her face and wanted to make it go away. She looked lost in thought, like she was trying to figure out where to begin. “This is about Shane, right?” he asked her and her eyes shot up, surprised.

“How did you know?” she asked him, confused.

“It’s a really small town, Kate. You’ll get used to it eventually.” Sebastian took a sip of his coffee. 

Kate looked at him, still confused on where to start, but she knew she had to say something. “So my first day here…” she began and proceeded to just tell him right from the beginning. 

About an hour later she was done, filling him in on her interactions with Shane, her nights with him, yesterday in full. He didn’t interrupt her, just letting her talk until she ran out of things to talk about. She stopped talking now, playing with her coffee cup and spoon. He couldn’t say he wasn’t hurt by the knowledge that her and Shane had kissed, but he thought it may have been something like that by the way Abi had pushed him. “So, now you have to figure out which one of us you want to be with, right?” he asked her, his voice low. 

Kate just nodded. “It isn’t fair to either one of you if I don’t.”

“And you haven’t made a decision yet, have you?” 

“No. I can’t say I’ve been in this position before. What are your thoughts about all of this?” she looked at him then, meeting his eyes.

“I’m pretty biased. Am I happy? I mean, I wish you guys hadn’t kissed, but I am not going to yell at you for it. It isn’t as if we were exclusive at the time so I can’t really say too much about that. I want you to be with me, Kate. Growing up here all I wanted to do was leave this place. Every move I made was to get me one step closer to leaving. When you came, I started to think less about that and more about you. This place didn’t seem so bad when I was with you, when I am with you. I could see myself staying and being actually happy. I don’t know how else to say it to you, how I feel.”

Kate nodded, understanding what he meant. “I really do care about you.” 

“I know. I don’t think that was in question. The question is, honestly, which one of us do you care about more.”

“I just need some time.” Kate answered. “I wish I could tell you I had an answer already, but I want to make sure I know.” 

“So, we wait then. Just don’t make us wait too long, Kate.” Sebastian said, standing up. “I have to head back since I have some work to do. Text me later.” He came over and kissed her on the head. 

As soon as he left, Kate put her head on the table. The talk went better than she thought, but she could tell he was hurt. 

She was surprised by a knock on the door thinking that Sebastian was back. She got up and opened it to see Elliott standing there, holding some oysters and clams. “Good afternoon, Kate. I had an abundance of these and thought I would bring some to you for tonight. Dear, you look dreadful. What’s going on?”

Kate took the seafood, thanking him and inviting him in. She offered him some coffee and then just unloaded everything onto him, needing a friend to talk this out with. 

“So, you have two people courting you and you need to make up your mind. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could just have both? Heart problems are so heavy and fetch a large price on one’s soul.” he told her, patting her hand.

“Yes, but what do I do?” Kate asked, desperate for advice.

“Well, when you do make up your mind, you get a bouquet from Pierre. That’s customary in this town, to present a bouquet to your suitor of choice. I don’t know why, but I think it’s a quaint idea. Now, who to give it to is the question I think you wanted to ask. Sebastian is a sweet boy, but has never lived really outside of this small town. He doesn’t have a lot of life experience yet and always seems like there is somewhere else he would rather be. Would he be happy at first but eventually go back to his reclusive life and feel smothered, trapped? And Shane, the man with the problems. Do you have a savior complex? Is this attraction to him based on an inner desire to be maternal? To save him from his own inner demons?” Elliott said.

“You aren’t helping.” Kate dryly said. 

“But aren’t I? I mean these are the things you have to think about. What about them attracts you to them? Is it them or an idea of them? Who do you see here with you, on this farm? Who would you potentially want to raise a family with?” he asked her.

“A family? That’s a fair bit in the future. I see what you are saying though.”

“Don’t rush it. Take some time and think about it.” he said, patting her hand. “There are many things to consider, but you have to also listen to your heart, and not just your mind. Who are you feeling more of a connection with and who makes you feel alive?” he said, standing up. “I will leave you to your thoughts. I am heading over to Leah’s and don’t worry, I will not share your current dilemma with her.”

Kate walked him to the door and gave him a hug. “Thank you, Elliott.” 

“Always a pleasure, my dear.” he kissed her hand and headed to Leah’s. 

Kate sat for a while in her kitchen before deciding to head out. She walked to Pierre’s and thankfully no one was in there, other than Pierre himself. She approached the counter, blush coming to her cheeks.

“Hi, Pierre,” she said softly, “I hear you have special bouquets for sale here.” 

Pierre smiled at the girl, pulling out a bouquet of flowers from the cabinet below. “I do and here they are.”

“Thanks.” Kate replied, handing him the money for the flowers. “You won’t say anything, right? Not even to Abi?”

“Your secret is safe with me.” 

She left the store, her flowers packaged up so it looked like any other store purchase. She returned home and placed them on the table, staring at them. She knew she didn’t have to rush her decision, but she also knew she had to make one. It wouldn’t help anyone to really prolong the decision and could make it worse. 

Spencer laid at her feet and she reached down to pet him. Kate thought about her moments with both of them, first kisses, her time on the dock, her time on the bike, her dance with Sebastian, her heated exchanges with Shane. Both of them awakened a different part of her and both of those parts were equally important. There was only one though, only one that kept coming back into her mind, only one that made her heart drop at the thought of losing them completely. His eyes, his kiss, his arms around her. 

“There really was no other choice…” she said softly as she picked up her phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we are. Decision time! The next chapter is going to be an intermission of sorts so I can explain more fully my thoughts for the future of the fic and the direction moving forward. I hope you all enjoyed! I will never stop thanking you all for reading this fic and I hope you are still happy and healthy where ever you are!
> 
> This chapter was a bit shorter since I decided to dive right in. There really was no need for a filler in this one, but I hope yall don't mind!


	25. Intermission - A Long Author Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do we move forward?

Intermission!

I wanted to just speak to you all and let you know some thoughts I have (and ask for input from you all too!)

When I began this, I thought I had a clear direction, and I did, but as usual my stories tend to go into a different direction than I picture. As the characters start to form they often take on their own ideas and develop some personality I hadn’t thought of before. The more I wrote for this story, the harder it became to settle on a choice.

So, here is what I propose. I can continue to write it as is, and make her choose. Or, I can split it moving forward into a sort of “Choose Your Own Adventure” where there would be two chapters, one for Seb if you want to follow that route, and one for Shane should you prefer the Shane stories. Or if you are like me, why not both? 

I would really like your input as this is as much your story as it is mine. I write the words but without you reading them this would have been dead in the water; my motivation to write it would have waned. So, what would you like?

You can leave a comment saying Choose Your Own, or just Straight line, and after a few days I will either update with two chapters, one for each side, or just pick the one I am feeling the most and run with that only.

If we do the Choose, you will have Seb be even numbers, Shane will be odd number chapters, so really it will be looking to see how many chapters have been updated. I will make sure to also put it in the title to help prevent confusion.

Thank you all, really. This has been a joy to write and share with you all, especially during this quarantine. I hope you all are continuing to stay safe. I’m not sure if I have ever updated with my own personal rona results, but they did come back negative, so I was just under the weather with something else! Good news all the way around. In any case, thank you all for spending some time with me and I look forward to seeing how you would like the story to move forward!


	26. Sebastian - Sky Full of Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where she chooses Sebastian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Seb's Chapter - if you want to follow the Shane path, please go to Chapter 27!

Year 1 - Spring 27

Kate had sent the message last night for him to meet her here at the pond in the forest. It seemed fitting that she would talk to him here of all places. She was here first, as she wanted to be, so she could get her head in order. She saw him coming up the way and even though she had prepared herself for this her heart was pounding in her chest. 

Hey, you.” Shane said as he approached her. She could tell he was slightly nervous; she watched him fiddling with his hands, not sure what to do. 

“Hey, Shane. Thanks for meeting me here.” She wasn’t sure how to open up the conversation, how to tell him what was in her mind and her heart. He was looking down at the dock, not meeting her gaze, as if he already knew where the conversation was going to go.

“So, I imagine you had something to talk about or is this just a visit?” He finally lifted his gaze up to meet her eyes.

“No, not just a visit. My head has been in overload since we last saw each other and I think it’s only fair to everyone involved for me to…” she started but he cut her off.

“You don’t need to decide now, Kate.” he told her, reaching for her hand. 

“But, I do. It isn’t fair for any of us to continue on this path. This is a small town and I know how I felt when I heard about you and Emily. I wouldn’t want either of you to really feel like that.” she gave his hand a squeeze before dropping it. 

“It’s him, isn’t it?” he asked, straight to the point.

“Shane, I care about you, I really do. I just think that right now, at this moment, you need to work on yourself, for yourself. And for Jas. I don’t know if getting into a relationship is something that you really want right now. Just a few days ago you were telling me you didn’t want a relationship…” Kate’s eyes were filling up now and Shane moved closer to her.

“That was stupid. I wasn’t thinking then, Kate. And it was before…”

“It was before I had left with Sebastian. What fueled your decision, Shane? Was it jealousy? That’s no way to commit to something. Jealousy isn’t the foundation of a relationship.” 

“Kate, please don’t make this decision because of my stupidity.” His voice was hoarse and he stepped forward.

“I have to factor in everything, and I’m not convinced that if I hadn’t gone off with Sebastian we would be having this conversation. I think there is a good chance that you wouldn’t be looking for anything deep. I want you to be happy, but you need to want to be happy. I don’t think you want to be happy yet. You have such a good heart if you only let people in. They want to get to know you, Shane. Open up a little, let people see you. I hope we can be friends, neighbors, even.” Her tears fell over then with that comment that started their friendship.

He took her in his arms then, letting her cry on his shoulder. “Kate, if he hurts you…” he didn’t finish the thought to her. 

She broke away and gave him as much of a smile as she could. She had said all she could for the time being and they sat together for a bit just in silence.

“I can’t say I will wait forever, but I will for a bit in case anything changes. Just because you chose him doesn’t mean I still don’t choose you.” He kissed her on the top of her head. “I’m gonna head back. I have to get to work in a bit.” 

“Thanks, Shane.” she said, walking with him. 

“I meant what I said, Kate. I will wait for a time. And I will think on what you said.” he told her before they separated. They gave each other a last hug before she went north to her home and he went to get ready for work. 

Once she was back home she splashed some water on her face. Luckily her face didn’t give her away after she was done. She grabbed the bag she had prepared this morning and headed out again. 

She made it to Robin’s and knocked before entering. Robin was standing at her counter and shook her head when Kate came in. 

“You don’t have to knock!” she jokingly scolded the girl. 

Kate smiled at her. “I know, but it feels weird when I am here on a social visit rather than asking you to build something for me. Is Sebastian here?” 

“Yup, in his room. Head on down.” 

Kate went down, and her heart was caught in her throat. She had thought about this moment since she had made her decision and now that it was here she was extremely nervous. She stood at the door for a bit before knocking; she could hear music coming from the room. She knocked twice and heard the “come in” before opening the door.

He stopped typing when he saw her come in. He stood up and started towards her. “I’m sorry for interrupting you. Should I come back later?” she asked him.

“No, you can stay. You can interrupt me whenever you want.” he told her before heading over to his table. “You want a drink or anything?”

“I’m good, thanks. Listen, if you have a few moments and are up to it, I was hoping we could talk.” 

“I don’t know whether I should be nervous or not.” Sebastian sat down, looking at the floor. 

“Well, I’m pretty nervous, so however you want to feel is fine.” Kate started, sitting next to him. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since we talked. None of this has been easy for us, but I have made a decision.” 

Sebastian turned away from her. “Have you already talked to Shane?”

“I did this morning, yes.” she answered him, putting her hand on his shoulder to try and coax him back into facing her.

“Well, I am sure you guys will be happy.” he said before standing up, shaking her hand off him.

“What are you talking about?” Kate asked, confused.

Sebastian turned to her then, hurt on his face. “You and Shane. I hope you will be happy. It isn’t that difficult to understand.” 

“Sebastian, I didn’t tell Shane I wanted to be with him. I told him I couldn’t be with him.” 

He stopped then, staring at her. “What?”

She smiled at him then. “It isn’t that difficult to understand, Seb.” She reached in her bag, pulling out the bouquet she had purchased from Pierre. “Look, I don’t really know what to do with this thing.” 

Sebastian’s face lit up and he walked over to his desk, opening a drawer and pulling out a bouquet of his own. “Let me show you.” He walked over to her and took her hand. “Kate, since you arrived here you have changed my world. I learned what it meant to really care about someone and that I don’t have to leave here to find myself.” he laid the bouquet on the table.

“Sebastian, since meeting you I have felt less alone than I have in years. Coming here was hard, since it reminded me of how much I lost when my Grandfather passed. You have helped me create new memories here, memories filled with happiness. I can’t wait to create more with you.” Kate handed him the bouquet, standing up to face him. 

He put both bouquets together then opened his arms. Kate went into them and they stood together for a bit before her face turned up to him. He turned down to her at the same time and their lips found each other, starting softly, but increasing in need. They both went to his bed, lips never parting, and he gently laid her down. He left her there for a moment, locking his door to ensure no one would just walk in, and went back to her.

“So, together. Officially?” he asked her.

“Together officially.” she answered. “There couldn’t be anyone else, Seb. It was always going to be you.” 

He laid down next to her, his lips kissing her cheek, then her neck. She was melting at the sensations each kiss brought. He brought his lips back to her mouth and her hands wrapped themselves in his hair, deepening the kiss. He moaned into her, answering her need with his need. 

He lifted her shirt off before taking his off and she was surprised by how much heat his body gave off. She leaned into him, letting her hands run over his chest, his back, his stomach. She could feel his hands doing the same, one unclipping her bra while the other was running up and down her legs, her skirt pushed all the way up. 

“You’re so beautiful.” he whispered into her. His mouth working its way down to her breast, taking a nipple into his mouth. 

Kate moaned as he kept going, his other hand pulling down her underwear. She was powerless to stop the direction they were headed in, and she honestly didn’t want to stop it. She was his and he was hers. Her heart exploded and his hand found what it was looking for. She reached down, undoing his pants, she could already feel the pressure against the pants. He got out of his pants and she found him ready for her.

Just then there was a knock at the door. “Hey guys, I wasn’t sure if you wanted some lunch. I just heated up some food.” Robin yelled through the door. 

They both stopped and frantically began finding their clothes. “We’re good, Mom, thanks.” he answered, his voice a little shaky. They could hear her walk away but the moment was broken. There was a silence and then Kate started laughing, followed closely by Sebastian laughing.

“I guess that happens when you still live at home.” he said apologetically. 

“Well, funny enough when we decide to try again, I know a little farm where I don’t think anyone will bother us.” she told him, booping his nose.

They quickly got dressed again and Kate grabbed the bouquet Sebastian had got for her. “I should head back anyways. You have to finish your work, and I have some work to do to get ready for summer. You want to come over for dinner tonight?”

“I’d love to,” he answered. “Can I bring anything?”

“Just yourself.” Kate said, kissing him goodbye. “Come over around 6.” She headed out, leaving him to his work. When she got to the top of the stairs, she saw Robin and Maru standing at the counter talking. They both stopped, looking at her carrying the bouquet.

“Oh my Yoba.” Maru said, her face breaking out in a smile. “So, it’s official?” 

“It is official.” Kate smiled and then was enveloped in a hug from the girl. 

“I’m so excited! I knew you guys would be great together from the moment I met you! I just knew!” Maru squealed as Robin laughed.

“Sebby has good taste.” Robin said, coming over to give the girl a hug as well. “I hope this means we’ll see more of you.” 

Kate smiled at the two girls and kept herself from crying at how sweet and welcoming they were. “Thank you both, and yes! I hope I can have everyone over at the farm soon once I get my summer plants started.”

Once she was finally able to get out the door she took her time walking home. It was a beautiful day and her heart was full. It started hard but Kate didn’t doubt for a moment she had made the right decision. Sebastian felt like home. When she thought about building her life here she was only able to really picture Sebastian standing next to her. 

Spencer greeted her as soon as she got onto the farm and she reached down to pet him. “What a day, Spencer. Now let’s go get things ready for dinner.” She headed back into the house, Spencer on her heels, her excitement for the night spilling out of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are. I love them so much! I really thought about letting them get some but they are honestly too sweet and pure and it isn't their time yet. However, I love them together and how much I feel they really do care about each other.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed! I think there may be one chapter left for each of them before I put this to bed. Thank you all for being with me!


	27. Shane - Various Storms and Saints

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where she chooses Shane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Shane's chapter - if you are looking for Seb, he is the one before this.

Year 1 - Spring 27

Kate sat at her house, waiting for the knock at the door. This was going to be hard, harder than anything she had done before. She truly cared about both men and she knew she could only have one of them. She also didn’t want to string either of them along and even though she knew they would both give her time she knew she couldn’t be comfortable actively seeing both men. 

She heard the knock and got up to answer the door. She wouldn’t be able to move forward without letting one go first. She opened the door and saw Sebastian standing there, hands in pockets.

“Thanks for coming, Seb.” she said as she held the door open for him. She hated that she had to do this, that she had to let him go, but she knew it was for the best.

“Yeah, of course. What did you want to talk about? It sounded important.” He looked uncomfortable and hopeful at the same time.

“I needed to talk about everything. With you and me and everything.” Kate didn’t meet his eyes, knowing this was going to be difficult.

“Ok, so talk.” he said softly. He sat down at the table and waited for her to join him. 

Kate went over to the table, sitting down next to him, still looking at the floor. “Seb, I care about you so much. So much that this was probably the hardest decision that I have ever had to make. I was drawn to you from the first moment I saw you at the Saloon.”

“But it isn’t enough.”

“Seb, your life isn’t here. It isn’t in Pelican Town. You told me so many times that your dream was to leave, get out of here the first moment you could. Your peaceful place is hours away from here, overlooking the city. My life was there before, it was, and I don’t ever want to go back. I can’t go back to what that was. I’m not sure you could ever be happy staying here forever.” Kate wiped a tear from her eye as she finished her thoughts.

“But I want to stay here now.” he argued, taking her hand.

“Until you don’t want to. And then you would resent me for keeping you here. I don’t want to be the reason you don’t follow your dreams. I don’t want to be the one limiting your potential. You have so much talent, and so much to bring to the world. Do you really want to spend your days here on a farm planting and taking care of animals?” 

Sebastian lifted Kate’s face to his. “I would be happy wherever you are. I don’t think I can convince you otherwise, though, can I?”

“I wish you could, Seb. I hope you know how much I really do care about you.”

“Don’t let him hurt you, Kate. If I even get the idea that he is, I will be back for you. I’m not giving up 100%, not until I know it’s going to be a lost cause forever. I won’t bother you with it, but I will show you that staying here is my choice.” Sebastian stood up and kissed Kate’s hand. 

Kate looked at him, wondering for a moment if she was making the right decision. She knew in her heart she was, and not just because of his dreams, but because of her own. She didn’t want to ever second guess her relationship, if she was the reason someone stayed behind. And she always would with Sebastian. She watched him walk to the door and open it, looking at her before he left. 

Kate grabbed her bag before heading out herself, giving herself a few moments before leaving. Saying goodbye to Sebastian was hard and she didn’t want to show that in her face. She opened her door and was surprised to see Shane heading up to the house.

“Hey, you.” he called out. “I was coming to see if you had time for a walk.” 

“Funny you should mention it, I was just coming to see you to ask the same thing.” Shane smiled at her, holding out his hand. She took it and together they walked together. 

“I’m going to bring you somewhere I never brought anyone.” he said, walking past the lake where they had sat previously. They kept going to the west, into a clearing she had never seen before. “I call it the Secret Forest. No one ever comes here because sometimes there are monsters. I checked everything out before I headed over to your place.”

“Monsters?” Kate asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Listen, I don’t come up with what people around here call things. If they want to call them monsters, let them. Plus, it makes them not come here. So, follow me.” He took her to an area filled with bushes, where if you looked close enough you could see an opening. She followed him through it and saw a blanket laid out with some snacks and beers.

“Shane, did you make a picnic?” Kate asked, smiling at the sight in front of her.

“I did. I wanted to share this with you. Look, I know I fucked up. I know I fucked up more than once. But I wanted to show you, Kate, that you make me want to be better. You make me think I am better.” He sat down, motioning her to join him. 

“Shane…” Kate started but he cut her off.  
“Kate, I couldn’t at least try. Try and show you that I am more than just a grumpy asshole who doesn’t have his shit together. From the first time you put me in my place I knew that I loved you. I didn’t know what to do with that, those feelings. I had been empty for so long and then you came.”

Kate was shocked at his words. She needed to tell him but every time she tried he would just keep talking. He was still talking and Kate knew what she needed to do. She leaned over and shut his mouth up with her own. She kissed him urgently, hopefully letting him know what was in her heart without words, since he wouldn’t let her use words.

They broke apart, Shane not talking and just staring at her. “Shane, it’s you. I want you. You bring out a side in me I never knew existed. It’s exhausting sometimes, and it’s challenging, but I like that you lit this fire in me.” She took out the bouquet from her bag and handed it to him. “I think I am supposed to give you these.”

Shane laughed while taking the bouquet. “Why is this even a thing?” he asked her and Kate laughed with him. 

“I don’t know. I wondered myself, but I am not one to skirt the tradition. So, what do you think? Are you interested?” 

Shane pushed everything off the blanket, leaning into her. Her heart was beating so hard she was sure he could hear it. She leaned backwards, laying on the blanket and he was half over her. She started to open her mouth, but he smiled at her before whispering into her ear.

“Shut up and let me show you how interested I am.” 

His mouth found hers then and she couldn’t help but lose herself in him. One hand held both of her hands down over her head while the other hand went up her shirt, feeling her stomach and working upwards. His mouth didn’t leave hers while she moaned softly at all of the sensations overtaking her. 

He kissed her until she was sure she wasn’t even breathing anymore, then worked his way down her neck, her body moving at his touch. He let go of her wrists so he could take off his shirt and then hers. He leaned back over, his mouth picking up where it left off. Her hands now free found their way to his hair, his back, encouraging him. 

Soon, all clothes were laying in the clearing, his mouth exploring all parts of her. She was lost in him, his touch, his mouth. Soon he was between her and she was opening for him. 

“Now is the time to stop if you want.” he whispered, his voice so low, so full. Kate’s answer wasn’t in words; she wrapped her legs around him inviting him closer. She needed him closer. Her body was screaming for him to enter and he obliged, breathing in sharply when he did. They moved together as one, her breathing becoming heavier until she exploded, and soon he did as well. 

After they lay together, side by side, wrapped in each other's arms. “Shane?” she asked softly, not wanting the moment to end.

“Mhm?” he nuzzled into her neck. He pulled her closer to him so her head was on his chest.

“You are really sure no one is going to show up here?” she asked, laughing.

“Well, you certainly didn’t care about 10 minutes ago, but yes, I am sure.” 

She playfully slapped him and after a bit decided it was time to get dressed. They both did, but sat there eating the snacks he had brought.

“So, what happens now?” she asked him, finishing up some berries. She wasn’t sure what this meant for them going forward. It had been a long time since she had been in an actual relationship.

“Well, we try not to fight, or we can fight as long as we finish like this.” he joked, throwing a berry at her. “I think we just take things as they come, but together.” 

“What about the town? And Emily?” She didn’t want to bring it up but she knew that the town likes to talk, and they were already talking about him with Emily.

“Emily knew what it was. The town can get over it.” he told her, moving closer. “I meant what I said. I love you. There is no one else I want to be with or who I think could even handle me. And it isn’t just me. Jas loves you, Aunt Marnie thinks you are the best thing that has ever happened to this town. I promise you I am going to do better, too. I’ve already spoken to Harvey about getting some help with my alcohol issues.” 

Kate realized then at that moment that he hadn’t had a drink, hadn’t opened one up for himself. She then realized there were cans of seltzer mixed in with the beer. “Shane, wow. I don’t have to drink either, you know.”

“It seems we will have to find some other place to hang out on Friday nights.”

“Funny, I know just the place.” Kate said, standing up and dragging him up with her. They cleaned up and headed out, back to reality. When they got to the path where Kate and Shane would separate Jas came running over and saw the bouquet. 

“Oh, those are pretty, Uncle Shane!” Jas said, smelling the flowers. She ran over and gave Kate a hug. “Where did you get those?”  
“Kate gave them to me.” Shane said, picking one of the flowers out and handing it to the little girl. 

“Are you guys on a date?” she asked, her eyes growing large. 

“Yes, we are. We are going to go on a lot of dates now.” he explained to her. Jas’s face lit up when he told her.

“I can’t wait to tell Vincent! He’s gonna be so jealous! He wanted to ask her out on a date!” 

Kate laughed. “Tell him I am flattered, but I can only date one person and he is right here.” 

“Are you guys going to get married? Then will you be my Auntie?” Jas was getting more excited by the moment. 

“Hold off on those plans, we aren’t there yet. But maybe someday.” he told her. “Now, we have to let her head home so she can feed Spencer.” 

Kate left them there and walked back home, though she felt like she was floating. She stopped at her stairs, turning around and taking it all in.

“Thank you, Grandpa. For everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, they did that. I feel like they would since they are so emotional with each other and that leads way to physical. It's a fire yall, like a moth to a flame
> 
> I think there is about one chapter left before I put this to bed - thank you all and I hope you enjoyed this!


End file.
